re:Bound
by Allison Illuminated
Summary: "Soulbond gone wrong." Ruby Rose never meant to kill Roman Torchwick. At least, that's what she tells the mysterious girl who haunts her dreams. Ruby/Neo, Bumblebee, Arkos. Volume Three is now complete!
1. V1 - Shatter

Chapter One: Shatter

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re:Bound

A Fanfiction By Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 6/19/17

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 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, and I am not affiliated with Rooster Teeth in any way.**

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 **Trigger Warnings: This work will contain imagery of violence, major character death, bullying, abuse, racism, and depression, alongside mentions and non-graphic allusions to sexual abuse, harassment, and rape.**

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Ice is a fickle mistress.

The pools of evil flow dark in the night, pulling the idle traveler down to rest in its sandy graves. Humanity, in its ever-present fight of self-preservation, froze the waters over to conceal the ocean depths and build their monuments to nothing. For centuries, civilization stood tall and proud, and in their wisdom, declared ice to be unchanging granite and marble. Lowly villages gave rise to spires and fortresses, technological marvels of dust and the cities constructed by its powers.

However, for all that Winter shall turn to Winter, so must Winter turn to spring. As the ice wears away, its crystalline fractures become too much to repair.

After all, melting ice never breaks even.

* * *

The glass spilled through the air in slow motion, jagged edges spiraling through the cool night air. Reflections in the foggy depths were lost in a crimson tide, tumbling down to Remnant in a collapsing wave. Perhaps it was the red dust spilling through the air, a kaleidoscope distorting the world around them. Maybe it was the scarlet drops of blood, dripping off the sharp edges hurtling toward the ground. Most likely, it was the young girl accompanying the cloud left behind in Roman Torchwick's wake.

Ruby Rose hit the ground. Hard.

Spinning to one side to avoid a burst of dust powered bullets, she sprang to her feet and unleashed her scythe as five grunts walked up to flank the well-dressed orange haired man who had sent her flying. Hastily brushing sweat and blood away from a cut over her left eye, she winced as she tensed, ready for the attack.

"Okayyy… Get her!" Torchwick said, lazily leaning back on his cane as his men rushed into action around him.

Ruby narrowed her eyes as she sprang into action. _Alright, I'm gonna knock them out so the police can get them._

She slammed the tip of the scythe into the ground, driving the powerful blade into the black pavement. Grabbing the handle, she used it to swing herself around and land a roundhouse kick directly into a grunt's face, laying him out flat on his back. _One down._

Yanking her scythe back out, she ducked and rolled to avoid another explosion of red dust where she had been standing. Aiming the back of her scythe at her aggressor, she launched a stun blast into his chest, sending him flying backward into the brick building behind him with a resounding crash. _Two- Wait!_

Desperately swinging the blunt end of her scythe around behind her, she swept the legs out from under two grunts who had snuck up behind. As she finished her rotation, she came face to face with the fifth grunt. Eyes widening, she brought her weapon up to counter a downwards blow from his sword. Feinting to the side, she brought the blunt end of the scythe up once again and sent it crashing down on his head, knocking him out cold.

Shots rang from behind her. Using her gun to launch her at a nearby tree, she saw that one of the grunts she had tripped was taking careful at her with a dust-filled pistol. Strafing him with consecutive cannon blasts, she flew past him. Digging her scythe into the ground again, she reversed her momentum and kicked him into the air. Pushing off of the ground, she did a backflip as she sent the blunt edge crashing down onto his head.

 _There, that's five._ Wiping blood off her forehead once again, Ruby narrowed her eyes at Roman. _I know this guy! He's Vale's most wanted criminal, locally at least. He was on the news last night!_

"You were worth every cent. Truly, you were," Roman muttered as he dropped his cigar and ground it into the dust shop's floor with his cane. "Well, Red, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening, and as much as I'd love to stick around, I'm afraid this is where we part ways."

Ruby grinned victoriously as she heard sirens in the background, but that smile faded instantly as Roman's cane clicked back to reveal a scoped shotgun, pointed straight at her head.

 _Act now!_ Firing her gun into the ground, she leaped over another red dust explosion and landed with her cape billowing around her. Head snapping up, she wildly cast her gaze around as she realized Torchwick had disappeared. A movement caught her eyes, and she turned to see him climbing a nearby ladder to the top of a nearby building.

Time slowed.

She knew she had split-second decision to make. The dust shop behind her was in ruins, and she could see the shopkeeper cowering behind the counter as he nursed a wound from the explosion of glass on his shoulder. She had to check on him, just to make sure he wasn't in grave danger. That way, she could stop the grunts from getting away too, and tell the police what had happened. Yang would want her to stay down, anyways. But...

If Torchwick got away, who would be there to stop it from happening the next time?

In that moment, Ruby chose Torchwick.

Springing to her feet, Ruby disappeared in a cloud of rose petals and sprinted up the ladder at top speed.

Roman's eyes widened as a hand grabbed his ankle at the top of the ladder. "Red?!"

Dangling from Roman's ankle with a single hand, Ruby grunted as she swung her scythe around with a single hand and dug the tip into the edge of the building. For all of the strength training she had done in her years and years at Signal, she still had trouble handling her monstrous weapon without a solid double grip.

Roman pointed his cane at her head. "You're persistent, I'll give you that. This ends now!"

She let go of his ankle, swinging away from him as she hung onto Crescent Rose with a single hand. Roman grinned as he slowly backed away, sending another blast at her. Gritting her teeth, she swung away again as he took off across the roof at a full sprint, yelling into a small mic on his shirt, "I need you now!"

Ruby's eyes widened as she saw the dust crystal Roman had dropped. Springing into action, she launched her self and her scythe into the air with her semblance as it exploded beneath her. A chunk of shrapnel crashed against her right arm as she launched herself of another towards Roman. She screamed as she hit the ground running, barely keeping a hold on her weapon.

Three yards away from the edge of the roof, an airship rose up with an open platform facing towards Roman. He hesitated for a moment, then took the running jump.

She had already come this far. She wasn't going to let him get away now.

Shooting forwards with her semblance, Ruby brought her scythe over her head. Springing from halfway across the roof, she took a wild leap towards the criminal, already halfway through his jump.

For a moment, she was on course to collide with Roman. Then, she brought her scythe down.

By the time it occurred to her which side she had swung down, it was already too late.

Roman screamed as the sharp tip of her scythe collided with his face. The blade tore through his neck and upper torso before Ruby's semblance send her hurtling into the criminal at top speeds, driving them underneath the aircraft and onto the pavement below.

An intense burst of pain shot through Ruby's head as her already injured right arm collided with the ground, hearing an unhealthy snap as it did. She yelled wordlessly in pain, depleted aura barely having held the rest of her body together. Remembering the airship hovering above her, she forced herself to open her eyes.

She would regret that for the rest of her life.

She was lying on top of Roman Torchwick's mangled body, surrounded by a pool of blood. His face was pale and his eyes unseeing, or at least what was left of them. A massive gash ran from his left eye to his stomach, his skin torn raggedly like a piece of paper. His neck had snapped in the fall, and his head hung to one side like a rag doll.

He was undeniably dead.

Roman Torchwick was dead. Because of her.

Ruby Rose had killed Roman Torchwick.

 _I killed him._

An explosion above her caught her attention, and she looked up to see the hovercraft take to the air, launching a missile into the building above. Ruby closed her eyes, knowing she was too weak to get out of the way.

When the rubble never made impact, she opened her eyes again to see a regal woman in a purple getup with blonde hair standing over her. The glyph she had just cast sent the rubble flying back at the receding airship, where it exploded in a cloud of fire. The woman watched it disappear, then knelt down next to Ruby. "Child, are you okay?"

 _I killed him._

Silently, she shook her head as her eyes drifted back down, to her bloodstained hands and arms. She- How could she- No, she couldn't have done this. She- She- She was only going to knock out the robbers for the police to capture! This- No, it couldn't be her fault. It was an accident. If he hadn't been shopping there-

"Glynda. Get Miss Rose away from him. Now."

The new speaker was male, and Ruby's eyes widened as she glowed purple and was pulled away from Roman. She screamed again as her arm moved, and Glynda cursed. "My arm!"

The scene was even worse from a distance. Roman's body was lying in a small crater, next to Crescent Rose. Her blade was soaked in blood. Was it even her blade anymore? How could she have-

Sirens sounded, and the purple surrounded Ruby again as she was lifted onto a stretcher. Her eyes widened. _The shopkeeper!_ "Stop, I have to go, I have to check on the shopkeeper!"

"Quick, she's going to hurt herself! Put her under!"

A sharp pain bit into Ruby's arm, and her world faded out to black.

* * *

"Dad, she's coming to!"

Ruby's eyes blinked open to see two concerned faces staring down at her. Sluggishly, she murmured, "Yang? Dad? Wha..." She frowned, trying to think through the haze that filled her head.

"Ruby!" Yang yelled, then gave her a rough hug. "You're okay! We were so worried after Ozpin came and told us that you had been injured."

She blinked slowly, not yet fully computing her surroundings. "Where am I?"

Yang released her, and Dad leaned down and hugged her as well. "You're at Shelter Hospital in Vale. We're just glad you're okay, honey."

"Oh." Ruby yawned as the anesthesia came back in force, and she gently closed her eyes as Taiyang settled her back down on the bed.

"Dad, is she really okay?"

"She's alive, Yang, and that's what matters."

"I know, it's just… She hasn't stopped frowning since we've been here."

She drifted in and out of consciousness for what seemed like an eternity and a half. When she was awake, either Dad or Yang or a nurse was there to talk to her through the drugs.

When she was asleep, she dreamed.

Everything seemed so distorted through the red fog. She saw her dreams like a window, fractured sheets of shattered glass, spinning through the evening air. Sometimes, Torchwick would make the jump and get away. Either he would shoot her, or she wouldn't get there in time, or she would forget to activate her semblance, or she would have just stayed with the shopkeeper. Sometimes, she never even made it through the grunts, disarmed and tortured, captured, or killed.

Sometimes she traded places with him. They were both murderers, after all. She would stare down the barrel of her cane and shoot him in the head, or he would rake a scythe down the length of her body. He would capture her, too. The questioning room was black and white, or would be if the scarlet film hadn't painted it crimson. They would come one by one, her family and teachers and friends.

Torchwick only ever asked her, "Why?"

And then Torchwick was gone, and others Ruby knew found themselves underneath her scythe. She wielded the instrument of death, after all. What difference did it make, whether she killed a friend or foe? His grunts. A shopkeeper. A Grimm, a nameless terror that had plagued her dreams for years. Her Signal friends. The blonde woman. Dad. Yang.

In her dreams, Ruby desperately called out. _Help me, please! Make this stop! Make this go away!_

One time, she woke up shaking. Curling up as much as possible, she whispered "No, no, no, no, no..." over and over again, trying to make everything disappear.

"Ruby! Ruby! Calm down, please, it's me, it's Yang, I'm here. Nurse!"

Shaking her head, Ruby curled up even tighter until she felt another wave take her under, sending her back into unconsciousness.

This time, her dreams were different. Stumbling through the fog, she saw a hand reaching out towards her. Recoiling, she drew Crescent Rose and waved it out in front of her. The scythe still had bloodstains on it as she yelled, "Go away! Leave me alone!"

"No."

The hand disappeared, and the person behind it reappeared next to her, touching her bare shoulder. Ruby turned to stare at the person next to her as a wave of calm washed over her body.

The girl was shorter than her, which caught Ruby's attention because _nobody_ was shorter than her anymore. Half of her hair was bubblegum pink, while the other was a rich dark brown. Similarly, her eyes were two entirely different colors. She was entirely naked and was looking at Ruby with the strangest expression in her eyes.

"Who… are you?"

The girl gave her a hard smile. "Neo. Are your dreams gone?"

Ruby nodded, and Neo vanished from her dreamscape. Looking out into the blackness around her, she was finally able to fall into a deep slumber.

* * *

Ruby smiled as Yang walked into the hospital room. "Hey, Yang."

Her sister smiled tiredly as she settled down in a chair next to Ruby's bed. "Hey, you're awake."

She nodded, fidgeting in her bed. She had only been awake for two hours, but she had already run through all of the games on her Scroll, read all of the eBooks she had downloaded, and gone through all of her good ideas for waiting (juggling the tissues and water on her bedside table). "This sucks! I hate staying in bed!"

Yang bit her lip and frowned. "The doctors said they can let you go tomorrow, but they want to make sure that your cast is good. Are you… okay?"

Ruby stared at Yang's worried expression, fiddling her thumbs underneath her flimsy hospital sheets. The doctors had taken her off of painkillers the day before, so her arm was throbbing with a ghostly pain she couldn't quite ignore. _No._ She gave Yang her best smile. "Yeah, I'm just bored! Don't worry about me."

Something crossed through Yang's expression, and she leaned back in her chair. "How can I not worry about you? My little sister goes after Vale's most wanted criminal and came back with a broken arm that needed two reconstructive surgeries! Ruby, we thought you- that you- you-" Unable to finish her sentence, she embraced her as tightly as possible. "I'm just glad you're alive."

She returned the embrace with her uninjured arm. "I'm glad that I'm alive too."

 _I shouldn't be alive._

Yang broke the embrace and glanced down at her scroll. "Look, I've got to be back at school by seven, but-"

Ruby's eyes lit up. "School? You're at Beacon now! How's that?"

"It's good."

She waited patiently through a pregnant pause before realizing that Yang wasn't going to say anything else, and was staring off at the wall. "That's… it?"

"Mhm."

"Oh, come on! You gotta give me more than that! Is it as cool as it looks in _Beacon 3: Return of the Grimm_? Are there lots of awesome weapons? What about the people? Have you done awesome fighting like wa-cha ka- ow!" Ruby winced as her arm gave a sharp pang in the middle of her combat demonstration.

Her sister shrugged, not taking her eyes off of the wall. "It's pretty cool, I guess. It does look a lot like the game. A lot of people have swords-"

"Really? What kind of swords? Did you get to see their components? What do they do?"

Ruby flinched as Yang got to her feet and spun around to look at her. Yang gave her a hard stared and took a deep breath before her red aura faded around her. "Hey, Ruby, is there anything that you want from the hospital shop?"

"Yang?" She stared up at her big sister. "What's wrong? Did I say something?"

"No, it's- I mean, there's nothing wrong. Really, don't worry about it. Anything?"

"Well..." Ruby thought for a second, then she grinned mischievously. "Does the shop have any cookies?"

Yang rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure that there are cookies. I'll be back, okay?"

"M'kay."

Her sister left the room, and she sank down into her pillow as she left. _What's up with Yang? She's acting all funny, like that time she was making a lot of noise in her room and wouldn't tell me what it was._

Maybe Yang was angry at her because of what she had done. Actually, now that Ruby thought about it, that had to be it. She was a murderer after all. Was she going to go to jail? She frowned as she thought about it; what if they didn't have red jumpsuits? At least there were cool weapons in prison. She thought back to a prison video game that she had played a while ago. She had made an awesome pipe sword out of bedsprings and toilet paper, and she probably could recreate it if she had to. It would be sad that Yang and Dad wouldn't be able to come and visit her, but they probably wouldn't want to anyways.

She tried to roll over, but the tug of the IV cables stopped her. Angrily, she stared at the white cast on her arm. _See, if I was dead, this wouldn't be a problem!_ Sighing, her thoughts drifted off toward Ro-

Nope, she was not going to think about that. Reaching over, she grabbed her Scroll and turned on the holoscreen across the room.

When Yang came back, Ruby was halfway through watching _Grimm Hunters X: Revenge of the Fallen._ She looked over as Yang put down a pack of chocolate chip cookies on her bedside. "Here you go. You're watching this terrible movie again?"

"Hey, it's not terrible!" she protested. "Elisse is awesome!"

"You only like her because she has a hammer. All video game movies are terrible!"

"Nope."

"Whatever Ruby."

"..."

"..."

"Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you hate me now?"

Yang flinched back as if she had been struck. "What? Of course I don't! How could you possibly think that?"

Ruby sniffled, and she felt her tears starting to gather. "But don't you ha- hate me after what I did?"

"Ruby..." Yang embraced her again. "What you did… It was self-defense. Torchwick-" Ruby flinched, and Yang hugged her tighter. "He was a criminal, Ruby. He's killed tons of people, and he would have killed you and even more if you hadn't stopped him. You can't beat yourself up over this! Please, just- Dad and I love you, Ruby. That will never change. Never."

Ruby started to sob into her shoulder, and for a long time, the two sisters just sat there, holding each other tightly as possible. Finally, Yang broke away. "Look, I have to catch the ride back to Beacon. I'll- I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Okay."

Despite herself, Ruby smiled as she watched Yang go, before turning to the pack of cookies that she had left behind. A hungry glint filled her eyes as she reached towards them ravenously.

Some things just never change.

* * *

That night, Ruby dreamed about Neo.

* * *

"Miss Rose. May I come in?"

Ruby looked up to see a man with silver hair and glasses standing at the doorway. Quickly, she turned her scroll off and said, "Um, hi. Sure. Who are you?"

He nodded graciously as he swept into the room, sitting down at her bedside. "My name is Ozpin. I trust that you have been making a speedy recovery from your surgery?"

"Yup. The nurses here are all super nice, and they say that my cast can come off in a week!"

He smiled. "Medical technology these days is truly a marvel. Now, since you didn't recognize my name, I assume that you were unaware that I have been overseeing your medical process?" Ruby shook her head. "Well, you are quite the lucky girl right now. For a moment, we were worried that we would have to amputate your arm, but we were able to save it. You took quite the blow when you hit the ground."

Ruby's gut sank as she cast her eyes down towards her arm. "I guess so."

"Tell me, Miss Rose. Why did you decide to go after Torchwick?"

"I- I- He was going to get away! I didn't- I- I mean..."

"Ruby." She stared up at him with frightened eyes. "You are not at fault for the death of Roman Torchwick. You must understand that."

"But-"

Ozpin shook his head. "You have received a fine education at Signal Academy, and you should be feeling proud of your abilities. Otherwise, you would most certainly be dead right now."

"Oh."

"Why do you want to become a huntress?"

Ruby thought about that for a second, ignoring the cold feeling in her chest. "I guess it's because I want to protect people like my mom did."

"Roman Torchwick was a criminal, Miss Rose. He has killed hundreds of innocent people and committed every sort of crime you can imagine. Were you not protecting people through your actions?"

She shook her head vigorously. "But that's different, I-"

"You stopped one of the most dangerous criminals in Remnant. You saved lives through your actions. Regardless of what you may be telling yourself, you are a hero. Is that not what you wanted, to protect?"

"No! I never wanted to be a- a- murderer!" Ruby shouted, sitting up straighter in her bed. "How could you say something like that?"

"Ozpin!" Ruby looked up in surprise as her dad barged into the room. "What are you saying to my daughter? I thought we agreed-"

"Quiet, Taiyang. She has to understand this." He spoke with a quiet intensity that demanded attention, attention that was ripped out of Ruby like a broken valve. "Do you remember the proverb that you were told on the first day of combat class at Signal?"

"Um..." Ruby's brow furrowed; hadn't she slept through that entire class? "Wasn't it something like 'The worst monsters are never the Grimm, but come in human skin?'"

"Ruby," Ozpin's voice carried a vulnerable tone that hadn't been there before. "I wish that I didn't have to teach you this lesson now, but I am afraid that I have no choice. You are too young, but we are short on time. Young hunters and huntresses are idealistic, and this is always the hardest lesson to teach. There are good and bad people in this world, and it is our duty to protect the good and innocent, at any cost. There is a reason that hunters are trained in combat against humans. When the innocent come under fire, there are times when hunters must take a human life to protect them."

"No..." Ruby shook her head, "No, that can't be true!"

"It is. I am sorry, Ruby. However, you have done nothing wrong. The council has already commended your actions."

Ruby's eyes widened. "No, I can't believe that!"

Ozpin sighed. "What do you intend to do when you are discharged tomorrow?"

"Oh, um..." Ruby thought about it for a second. "I guess I'm just going back to Signal, right? The term started last week, right?"

"You will be going back to school tomorrow. However, that school will not be Signal."

"Huh?"

Her dad finally stopped leaning back on his hands against the wall and knelt down next to Ruby. "Ruby, Ozpin is the headmaster at Beacon Academy. He and I have both agreed that it is in your best interests to go there."

Ruby stared at Taiyang slack-jawed. "What? But… I'm fifteen!"

Ozpin stood up and started to walk towards the door. "We have decided that you are a special case, Miss Rose. Our psychological services are the best in Remnant, as are our classes. You have clearly already proven yourself to be adept with your weapon, and we wish to see you continue to progress. The choice is yours of course. Would you like to attend Beacon Academy?"

"Yes! Of course I want to go!" Ruby squealed, before remembering why she was getting the invitation in the first place.

"Miss Rose, we understand what you're going through right now," Ozpin said as he twisted the doorknob open. "Please think about what I told you. Oh, and also?"

"Welcome to Beacon."

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 **[A/N] Welcome to the world of re:Bound! This is my first foray into the RWBY fandom, and I really love the way this story is going already. Feel free to leave feedback, positive or negative; I've done research and I'm fairly certain I've got Canon down, but I probably missed something. Concrit is absolutely welcome, _especially_ on old chapters!**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar. Also, it's crazy to come back to this chapter and see how much it's grown!**


	2. V1 - False Idol

Chapter Two: False Idol

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re:Bound

A Fanfiction By Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 6/23/17

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They walked among the things that were hidden, bare feet sinking into the soft moss and crackling against the dried leaves. The fog swirled around them, tinging the pine trees with a scarlet luxury reserved for the deciduous forests, a last blaze of glory before they would wither and die. They wore their false crowns, blinded in the haze of what could be, rulers of a land none would ever see.

Ruby's breath came in deep gasps as she sprinted through the woods, bare feet pounding against the ground. Her semblance sent her flying alongside a river of blood, soaking the rose petals as they drifted down to the viscous surface. Where was she running to? Where had she come from? All she knew was that she had to run, had to get away, but was forced to come to a stop as a cliff loomed large in front of her.

On a rock balanced at the edge of the cliff, a girl stood, looking out over the clouded domain below. She hesitated as she walked up to her, whose back was turned away. Shrouded, Neo's form was silhouetted against the fog, bare curves held against the cloying fog. "Where are we?"

Neo turned to look at her, an unsettling smirk plastered onto her face. "We are here, of course. Where else would we be?"

Ruby looked from herself to the other girl, laughing with surprised innocence as she did so. "We're both naked. Why are we naked?"

"Should we be clothed? Who do you need to hide from? Why are you running in the dark?"

Ruby opened her mouth to respond, then frowned. She looked up to see Neo staring down at her. "I… don't know?"

"Wrong." Neo waved her hand, and the mist around them dissipated slightly, revealing hundreds of Grimm wandering around the forest around them. Ruby recoiled with a whimper, arms flying to cover herself as best she could. Staggering backward, her exposed back touched the cold rock behind her. _I'm trapped!_

Fear rolled off her in waves, and the Grimm turned to look at her. She cried out as she watched them slowly stalk towards her. The cold red light tinged their bone-white faces, sending waves of fear through her body. She froze a ghostly memory floated through her head.

 _She and Yang pressed up against a fallen tree trunk, screamed as a pack of Beowolves circled in around them. Just as they were about to attack, Uncle Qrow jumped in and saved them, but not before one raked its claws down Ruby's leg._

Ruby's breath grew heavier and heavier. She sank down the side of the rock, ghostly light sending Neo's shadow flying over her. The black beasts came closer and closer, and she yelled, "Make them stop!"

The Grimm stopped in their tracks, and Neo suddenly appeared in front of Ruby, towering over her hunched form. "Ruby Rose, when you are with me, I am your god. I know and control every aspect of what you can see. Do you understand?"

She shook her head rapidly, and the Grimm around her snarled. "No! Who are you? How are you doing this?"

Neo's face darkened, and she clenched her fists. "Why are you still alive? You should be dead!" She strode forwards, and Ruby pushed herself even further back against the boulder. "Nobody gave you the right to ask me that, _murderer._ You deserve to be afraid, to float down that river in your own blood."

Ruby gasped as the cliff began to rumble before collapsing underneath her feet, sending her and the Grimm tumbling down into the abyss below. She screamed as she fell, watching Neo recede into the air above her. The rocky ground rushed towards her, and she prepared herself for the inevitable.

Instead of hitting the ground, her surroundings disappeared, leaving nothing but four mirrors forming a box around her. She stared at her nude reflection when suddenly she felt tingly. She gasped as her form began to change. She shrank downward, her build becoming even more petite as her facial features rearranged themselves. She blinked and found herself staring back at Neo's reflection.

"I control you, Ruby Rose," she found herself saying against her will, muscles moving involuntarily. "And I'm going to make sure that you never forget that."

Unable to do anything else, Ruby reached inside of herself and screamed as loud as she possibly could. Her body exploded in a burst of white energy, and she found the strength to yell, "Let me go!"

Under too much strain, the mirrors shattered into a million pieces, returning her to darkness.

* * *

Ruby gasped as she pressed her nose against the thick glass barrier, the only separation between her and thin air. "Wow, you really can see all of Vale from here! This is so cool, isn't it?" She looked behind her for confirmation, then drooped as she realized there was none to be found. "Oh, that's right. Nobody's here."

The dimly lit interior of the Beacon student shuttle was empty aside from a lone security guard softly snoring at his post. Rows of empty chairs, worn down by years and years of rowdy students, stared towards the front of the airship. At Ruby's foot, a lone piece of paper, presumably dropped by a student, was crumpled up into a small ball and cast aside.

She laughed slightly, half nervous and half lonely. "Well, Ruby, can't let this take away from the view?" Sighing, she turned back to stared out the window.

 _Maybe it's better that I'm alone here. It's not like anyone would want to talk to a murderer anyway._

 _But they could have cool weapons?_

 _Dammit, you're right!_

A head poked out of the captain's office. "Miss Rose, were you talking to me?" She shook her head, and he disappeared back into the cockpit without a second glance.

Vale seemed so tiny from above. It was almost like that one time when Dad had taken her and Yang to the Vale Child's Museum. A traveling artist from Vacuo had constructed an elaborate miniature model of Vale as a playground, with all of the buildings magnetically attached to their spaces on the map. She smiled as she remembered how Yang had gone on an absolute rampage, sending building and children alike flying across the museum floor. They hadn't gone back since. Dad always got a funny look in his eye when she suggested it, muttering something about "bills" and "warranties."

Ruby frowned thoughtfully as she looked back over the city. Where would she go after Beacon kicked her out? Yang and Dad certainly wouldn't want her in the house anymore, so she would have to find somewhere. Maybe in the abandoned part of the city? She wondered whether there would be enough spare parts out there to fix Crescent Rose. Would she even be able to get back into the city?

"Welcome to Beacon Academy, the finest academy for young hunters and huntresses in the world. Please enjoy your stay," a pre-recorded voice message droned over the intercom.

Ruby started as she realized that she had been dozing off against the window, and now had a fine view of a concrete landing pad. Jumping away from the window, her hand flew to her back. Crescent Rose's collapsed form was comforting, and she pushed the memory of her blade embedded six inches deep in a criminal's chest as far to the back of her mind as she could. _Crescent Rose is mine! You can't take her away from me!_

Walking over, she grabbed her luggage from next to her seat and walked towards the open exit ramp. She took a deep breath, then stepped out onto the landing pad.

Beacon was one of the most glorious sights she had ever seen in her life. The fortress was massive, constructed with the finest marble. The grounds marked flowing garden after garden, crowned by magnificent stone arches and sculptures. Atop the school, a series of spires gave way to a towering clock tower that loomed over Vale.

Her own troubles forgotten, Ruby gasped as she stared at the scene before her. _Is… Is this really happening? Have these last two weeks been real? I can't- I'm a student. At Beacon._ _Which is in front of me. This isn't real. This can't be real. I'm really still home, and I never- Torchwick- No, I'm here. I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking about everything except that. What was that song?_

Holding her bag steady, she unzipped the front pocket and pulled out her scarlet headphones. Hands shaking, she plugged the ends into her Scroll, then froze as she saw the music that popped up.

This Will Be The Day, Jeff Williams, 1:06. The exact song and time she had paused her music at the night of-

 _No. This was before. Listening to it now- It'll be like nothing ever happened._

Hesitating slightly, she slipped the headphones over her head and pressed play. As she did, her Scroll blinked with a new message from Yang that read, "Meet Goodwitch by the main hall. C u soon, k?"

Ruby started to walk purposefully towards Beacon. This was a new start, a new beginning. She was going to make it a new beginning. Everything was going to change. The stone walkway grew shorter and shorter as she approached the school.

Heads turned as Ruby walked up to the massive main doors. She could see people staring at her, leaning in to whisper to their friends. She knew they were pointing at her, at her weapon, at her clothes. Biting her lip, she pulled her hood over her head as she walked into the school.

 _They don't want you here. You're not supposed to be here. You're too young._ _What can a fifteen-year-old do against a bunch of seventeen-year-olds?_ _You won't last a week. This is a_ _ll fake_ _. This is a dream. This is all going to disappear._

 _Murderer._

 _Murderer._

"Miss Rose!"

Ruby jumped back wildly as her eyes shot up from her feet to see the blond woman who had saved her after- well, she was standing right in front of her, wearing a stern expression on her face. Quickly, she slipped her headphones down around her neck and dropped her hood. "Oh, um, hi!"

The older woman pursed her lips as she said, "Are you alright? You seemed to be disturbed on your way in."

 _No._ "I'm fine, I was just… thinking," she said as she put on her best smile. "Actually, can you help me find someone called Goodwitch?"

Glynda Goodwitch raised her eyebrow. "That would be me. In this facility, I will be referred to as Ms. Goodwitch."

"Oh! I'm Ruby, I'm supposed to meet you then, I guess?"

"I know, Miss Rose."

Ruby blushed and looked at the floor, giggling nervously. "Yeah, I knew that."

Glynda sighed as she started to walk away. "Ozpin told me you would be arriving today. Please, follow me. I'm supposed to take you to your team's room."

Ruby perked up slightly at that. "Teams?"

"Are you not aware of how Beacon operates?"

"Well..." She grabbed her luggage and followed the imposing teacher. "There are the Grimm, and there are us, and we learn how to go and kill the Grimm!"

"Yes, Miss Rose, but there is more to it than that. For the next three years, you will be working together with a team of three other hunters. You will do _everything_ together, from eating meals to fighting. One of the most important lessons that a young hunter must learn is that they cannot fight alone, an experience that you have already had and seen the effects of."

"But-"

Glynda turned around midway through climbing up a short stairwell and stared down at Ruby. "There is no argument. You will learn how to work on a team."

"But what if they don't want me?" Ruby blurted out, then stared down at her feet.

"They have not been given that option. Now, you will be taking a series of classes..."

Ruby spaced out as Glynda droned on about classes and homework. _What's the big deal? Isn't the whole point here just to learn how to fight?_ Instead, she stared at her surroundings, which had changed from the cavernous entry hall to a series of narrow corridors with large hardwood doors. Each door had a single plaque on in with four capital letters engraved into the bronze surface. The floors were covered with a fine brown carpet and marble tiling. _I wonder how soft it is..._

"Have you been listening to anything that I just said?"

She blinked. "Huh? Yeah, of course! You were talking about teamwork, and classes, and stuff like that, right?"

Glynda sighed, massaging her temple before putting her hands on her hips. "I suppose I will leave it to your instructors to impart some sense of obedience on you. It is certainly too early for me to do this today. Hold out your Scroll."

She nodded and fumbled through old candy wrappers and a mess of cables as she dug her Scroll out of her pocket and held it out. The teacher held out a matching device and tapped it to hers. "I have transferred your schedule for the day onto there. You have two hours to unpack and to meet your teammates, and then you are expected in the infirmary to have your cast removed. Do you understand?" She nodded, and Glynda gestured to the door on their right. "This is your room."

Ruby stared at the door. Unlike the others she had seen in the hall, this one was unadorned, a slot intended for a plaque left empty. Reaching out, she grabbed the metal doorknob. Hesitating for a second, she twisted and pushed inwards.

Inside, three girls were sitting around a low seated table playing a game of cards. The walls were painted a warm yellow, and two sets of bunk beds were pushed against opposite walls. A door off to one side of the room led to a small bathroom, and a low-set bookshelf was pushed underneath a wide bay window. The window looked out over the entrance with an amazing view of the gardens below. At the table, one of the girls slammed down all five of her cards and yelled, "Hah! I have a flush, I win!"

Ruby's eyes widened as she recognized a familiar head of blonde hair. "Yang?"

Yang looked up and grinned victoriously. "Hey Ruby! Did you see me beat these two losers in the ground? I _always_ win at poker!"

"That's because you cheat," a girl with raven black hair and a bow muttered.

Yang's smirk dropped right as Ruby tackled her with a hug. "I didn't know I was going to be on your team!"

Her older sister groaned as she rolled her off her and onto the floor. "Yeesh, Ruby, that cast is like a rock. Don't hurt me!"

Ruby laughed, then looked up to see the other two girls staring at her. There was a short awkward silence, which was broken by Glynda as she poked her head into the room. "I'm going to leave you girls alone. Ruby, if you're not in the infirmary by four, you will have detention before your first class starts." Without waiting for the answer, she left, shutting the door behind her.

"Just ignore Goodwitch," Yang whispered conspiratorially as she leaned in towards Ruby. "She probably hasn't had sex in a decade."

She flushed bright red. "Yang!"

"Um…"

Ruby looked up to see a white-haired girl staring down at her with a calculating expression. "Hi? I'm Ruby."

"I know."

The expression the other girl was giving her was so cold that it made her shudder, and she looked away. "Okay…"

"Don't mind Weiss," the girl with black hair said as she settled down on her bed with a book. "I'm Blake, by the way. Nice to meet you."

Ruby grinned at Blake as she got up from the floor and dragged her bag over to what looked like an unoccupied bed. _Great! She seems friendly, so talk to her. Let's see…_ "Uh, what book are you reading?"

Blake lifted an eyebrow. "It's our history textbook. You know, for homework?"

"Oh."

Blake went back to her book, and Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all sat around awkwardly staring at each other. Ruby kicked herself as she frowned down at the table. _Dammit, Rose!_ "I, uh… I'm going to unpack now."

Weiss pointed at a set of drawers pushed into the far corner. "That's yours."

Wordlessly, Ruby dragged her suitcase over to the drawers and started to empty out its contents. Clothes in one drawer, toiletries in another, Crescent Rose on top. Stepping back, she admired her handiwork. "Alright, feels like home already!" she cheered halfheartedly, trying to recapture her earlier enthusiasm.

"Is that your scythe?" Ruby turned around to see Weiss pointing at the red weapon on her drawers.

Her eyes lit up, and she nodded happily. "Did Yang tell you about her?" Grabbing it, she unsheathed it, feeling the familiar thrill as its mechanical unfurling unleashed the scythe into the dorm room. "Isn't she awesome?"

Weiss took a step backward, and Ruby frowned as she saw the strangest expression in her eyes. "It… Um… Are those bloodstains?"

Ruby looked up to the blade, and her stomach dropped as she realized the blade was still crusted with Roman's blood. "Yang, you didn't clean it before I got it back?"

Yang gave a shuddering sigh, then stood up. "Ruby," she said with a false calm, an authoritative tone to her voice. "Put the scythe away in the dorm room. You're making Weiss nervous."

She frowned as her weapon retracted back to its compact form. "It's also a sniper rifle, like this?" she offered hesitantly. "What weapon do you use?"

Weiss squeezed her eyes shut and massaged her temples as she sat down at the lone desk in their dorm room. "A sword. I use a sword. It's on my bed."

Ruby's eyes lit up as she used her semblance to cross the room to Weiss' bed, lifting the sword on it up. The rapier had an ornery hilt with several large containers for dust strapped to its side. She shook it as she ran her hands over the length of the blade, trying to figure out how it worked. "What's its name? What does it do?"

"Its name is Myrtenaster, it doesn't 'do' anything, and I would ask you to handle Schnee family property with more respect than that!" the other girl snapped as she strode across the room and snatched her sword out of Ruby's grip.

"That's weird. If it's your sword, then why does it belong to your family?"

Yang buried her face in her hands. "Weiss, please, she doesn't know-"

"Are you telling me that you have never heard of the Schnee Family Dust Company?" Weiss said in a dangerously calm tone.

Ruby cocked her head innocently. "Am I supposed to have?"

"My wonderful father was generous enough to lend me this sword for my use straight out of his personal armory," she snapped at her. "And unlike you, I don't walk into a room waving it around like there's a cloud of Grimm flying around my head. You know we come to this school to learn how to fight, right?"

"I know that!" Ruby shot back, heat coloring her face as she clutched Crescent Rose.

"Weiss..." Yang said in a warning tone.

Blake looked up from her book, and her bow twitched irritably. "Weiss, stop."

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Take her side, will you?" She swirled around the room, shooting glares at the two other girls. "I am the heiress of the second most powerful company in the world! I came to this school to become a huntress, not to be left with a fifteen-year-old delinquent with a bloody pigsticker as my partner! Forgive me if I seem a bit _irritated_." Shoving her sword into her belt, she stormed out of the room as her light blue dress billowed out in her wake.

Ruby slumped as she watched the other girl go. "Weiss?"

Yang and Blake glanced at each other, and Blake said, "I'll go after her." Hurriedly, she got to her feet and ran after Weiss.

"Yang, what did Weiss mean, partners?"

Her sister looked at her tiredly. "During initiation, we were paired up with the first person we made direct eye contact with. Weiss was the odd one out."

"Because I wasn't there?"

"Look, Ruby..." Yang sighed. "I really have to go after her too. Can you please go down to the armory and clean Crescent Rose off?"

"But-"

"Please?" Yang shot her a final look before running out of the room.

Ruby stared at the wooden door as it swung shut in her sister's wake. When it clicked shut, she sagged, the tip of Crescent Rose coming to rest on the ground. _What did I do wrong?_

Looking down at her weapon, she sighed. Maybe if she had just checked it before she had come, this wouldn't have happened. Had the hospital had a weapons workshop?Settling down at the table, she pushed the discarded card game to one side and pulled out her scroll from her pocket and opened up one of the games she had been playing. _Maybe they'll come back._

An hour later, she had gotten bored with the game, and her new teammates still weren't back at the room. The dorm room seemed so much darker without other people to cheer it up, and she pushed the door open as she grabbed Crescent Rose and stepped outside. _I guess they really do hate me. Maybe I should listen to Yang and go find the weapons workshop._

* * *

"Wait a second… Ruby Rose?"

Ruby looked up from her workbench. Her hands were covered with suds and grime, and she dropped her sponge back into the bucket of soapy water at her feet. Crescent Rose still was tinged crimson, but the majority of the bloodstains were gone.

Across from her, a girl with bright red hair wearing a strange Mistrali set of armor had sat down and was staring at her. In front of her, she had dropped a javelin and shield onto the table, and her hands loosely rested on the long weapon's hilt. She seemed vaguely familiar, but Ruby couldn't quite place her. _I feel like I've seen her somewhere before._ "Do I know you?"

The other girl shrugged. "You might. My name is Pyrrha Nikos?"

She thought about it for a second, then shook her head. "No, never mind. I probably just saw you on my way in. Nice to meet you!" Frowning, she squeezed out her sponge into the bucket and returned to scrubbing her weapon's blade. "Should I?"

Pyrrha broke out into a broad smile and shook her head. "No, don't worry about it… Wait a second, is that blood?"

Ruby nodded, grabbing a screwdriver to detach a component from the blade. Setting it aside and carefully sorting the screws into separate compartments, she used her semblance to scrub the now exposed metal. "I'm sorry, I haven't had a chance to clean her yet..."

Gasping and making a funny retching noise, Pyrrha said, "Wait, there's still blood on there from- No, no, I don't want to know. I was telling you that your knuckles are bleeding."

Ruby stopped scrubbing for a second and looked down. Sure enough, tiny drops of scarlet were dripping down her raw knuckles. "Oh. Is there a first aid kit anywhere?"

Nodding vigorously, the redhead got up from her seat and walked over to a nearby wall. Grabbing a white box, she opened it and pulled out a bottle of ointment and a roll of bandages. "Here, can you wash your hands?"

She nodded and walked over to a freestanding sink. The grimy handle squeaked as it turned, sending cold water washing down over her hands. "How do you know my name? Did Yang tell you?"

"Yang Xiao Long? Why would she have told me?"

"She's my sister. How else would you know my name?"

Pyrrha frowned thoughtfully as Ruby sat back down and reached her hand out across the table. "Huh? You and Yang are sisters? I would have never guessed, you two look nothing alike."

She shrugged, then winced as Pyrrha sprayed the ointment over her raw skin. "Well, I guess we're really half-sisters. We have different moms and the same dad."

"Wow. Okay." Pulling off a good portion of the bandage, she carefully wrapped Ruby's hand. "You're really beat up. This and a cast, that's really gotta suck. Anyways, I know your name the same way everyone else does, obviously."

Ruby's stomach sank. _What is she talking about?_ "Obviously?"

"You don't know." Pyrrha laughed, shaking her head. "I- um- Do you never watch the news?"

She shook her head. "Why would I watch any of that boring grown-up stuff?"

The other girl bit her lip. "Well, you've been on it for the last week, basically 24/7. Didn't you kill Roman Torchwick?"

Ruby's eyes widened. "Really?" For a moment, she was ecstatic. _I was on TV! That's so cool!_ Then, she remembered why, and her face fell. "So that's why Weiss hates me. She must not want to be partners with a murderer."

"Huh? Murderer?"

"I look like one too. That's why I'm here." She looked up at Pyrrha. "You probably don't want to be friends with me either."

Pyrrha had a funny expression on her face, and she took a deep breath as she frowned. "Well, I will admit that the blood was a little bit… off-putting, but you're _not_ a murderer, Ruby. You took down a dangerous criminal, and that makes you a hero! Why wouldn't I want to be your friend? Also, what were you saying about Weiss?"

"I'm not a hero," she muttered tonelessly, starting to scrub Crescent Rose again.

"Careful!" Pyrrha stood up and walked around the bench, catching her wrist before she could activate her semblance. "Really, it looks fine. The- the blood just looks like a decoration now, okay? Fits in with the whole red aesthetic?" She gave her a forced smile. "Please don't hurt yourself more."

"It doesn't hurt," Ruby said. It was more like a dull ache, just another bruise to add to all of her others. If anything, it made her feel the other ones less than she already did. The pain was nice, in a way; she could just ignore everything else around her and focus in on it.

"O-okay, if you say so." Pyrrha sighed as she sat back down on the bench. "Now, what were you saying about Weiss?"

"I don't know. I was being friendly and showing her Crescent Rose, and she just stormed out of the room. Blake and Yang followed her, so I guess they don't want to be near me either."

Pyrrha frowned, thinking for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure exactly what happened, but Weiss is… a very proud person," she said diplomatically. "I'm sure that she was upset after she didn't get paired up during initiation. I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to take it out on you."

"So it is my fault," Ruby said flatly, staring at her distorted reflection in the blade beneath her.

"No, you were in the hospital. There's nothing you could have done about it. It's not your fault at all." The other girl picked at a bronze cuff around her wrist, and the bench shifted slightly as her foot tapped insistently against the ground.

"Was that on the news too?"

"Yeah

"How much do you know about me?"

"I- Not much, actually." Pyrrha frowned and looked away at the wall, and the weapons shop fell silent. She sat for a moment, then stood up and walked around the table. Sitting down at her original seat, she picked up her javelin and started to go through a routine maintenance checkup.

"Oh." Ruby picked up her scythe with her good arm and walked to the open area of the weapons shop. Quickly, she opened and closed the blade, nodding in satisfaction as the mechanics ran smoothly. She launched into a complicated practice routine, struggling to keep Crescent Rose balanced and accurate with her single arm.

"So, you like weapons?"

She nodded as she stopped, sweating slightly. "Yeah, this is Crescent Rose. I made her myself."

Pyrrha nodded. "I'm actually kind of impressed that you can use something so much bigger than you are. How much practice did it take to be able to handle it so well?"

"I used to be terrible, really. I still would be, but my uncle helped me get a lot better. He's really awesome, and he uses a scythe too."

Just as Ruby and Pyrrha were getting deep into discussion about fighting, her scroll beeped. _Oops, I forgot about what Glynda said!_ "Sorry, Pyrrha, I have to go! I forgot that I'm getting my cast off now!"

Pyrrha smiled at her. "Do you want me to walk you there?"

"Sure, but-"

Pyrrha shook her head and smiled at her. "Really, it's not a big deal at all. I have to go back upstairs anyways. Now, come on, let's go!"

Ruby smiled faintly as she watched Pyrrha's red ponytail sway from side to side as she exited the shop in front of her. She seemed friendly, and she didn't seem to care about what she had done. _Maybe this won't be all bad. Maybe Beacon will turn out okay!_

 _Maybe things will be able to go back to the way they were before._

* * *

 **[A/N] Thank you guys so much for the overwhelming support on the last chapter. I'm glad that everyone seems to be enjoying it so much! Feel free to leave any form of feedback, both positive and negative. Concrit is encouraged!**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 10/21/17] I removed song lyrics to comply with the TOS. If you want the lyrics I had taken, it's the second verse of This Will Be The Day. It's a super gray area since it's actually a part of the show (Ruby canonically is listening to the song) but this fic is starting to gain traction and I would be devastated if it got taken down because of this.**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar.**

 **Estimated Next Update Day: August 12, 2017**


	3. V1 - Flicker

Chapter Three:Flicker

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 8/23/17

* * *

Ruby saw herself painted in dawnlight.

The window pane was to cool for comfort, and her slim fingers haltingly curled upwards, straining against the thick bandage wrapped around her knuckles. Outside, her battered old Beacon brochure seemed to have come to life. Rows of topiary and flowering vines, stone paths wandering around perennials and under maple trees... No matter where she looked, the grounds were beautiful, and gardeners were already swarming around the flowers like honey bees.

She was there too, sort of. The reflection in the window was passing in the breeze, a faded stroke of messy bedhead and pale skin. She knew she was looking, but her eyes were shadows as a cloud passed over the rising sun. Then, her reflection was gone.

 _Is this a dream?_

If it wasn't a dream, then why had Neo been in her reflection?

Shivering, she rubbed her hand over her pale shoulder, wishing her dad had packed her long pajamas. She walked over to her suitcase, haphazardly pushed under the bunk bed she had slept in last night. Digging through the pile of clothes starting to accumulate on top, she pulled out a black sweatshirt with her rose symbol embossed on the back. She yanked it over her head, brushed her hair back out of her face, then walked over to the shared desk pushed against the far wall.

After she had left the infirmary late last night, the nurse had handed her an envelope with a golden Beacon seal of the front. Now, Ruby excitedly dug her finger into the fold and quickly ripped the envelope open, grinning as she heard the satisfying tearing noise. She pulled the envelope out and read the first page.

Dear Miss Rose,

Due to your unique circumstances, your independent study will be conducted myself in my office, located in the top floor of the tallest tower. Should you have any worries or concerns, please direct them towards myself of Glynda. I will see you today at 4:00.

Yours truly,

Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy

Putting her curiosity aside for a moment, she set the letter aside to see an enclosed schedule underneath.

 **Beacon Academy Academic Schedule: First Year, First Semester**

 **Rose, Ruby**

 **Block One – Grimm Theory – Peter Port – 10:00**

 **Block Two – Remnant History 100 – Bartholomew Oobleck – 11:15**

 **Lunch – 12:30**

 **Block Three – Combat Theory – Glynda Goodwich – 1:30**

 **Block Four – Free – 3:15**

 **Block Five – Independent Study – 4:00**

She cheered as she realized she only had three real classes, then covered her mouth as Weiss grunted and shifted in her bed behind her. _Oh, I totally forgot that everyone else is sleeping!_ Slowly, she turned around to see Yang sitting up in bed, giving her a death stare. Ruby gulped and waved at her sister, who groaned and stormed over to the bathroom, yanking the door shut behind her.

"Good morning."

She looked up to see Blake staring down at her over the cover of a thick hardcover book. "Oh, um, did I wake you up too? I-"

Blake shook her head. "No, I was already awake. I'm sure Yang appreciated getting woken up at 6:47 though."

"Really? She had that grumpy face she gets whenever she goes out back and punches things really hard with Ember Celica."

Blake blinked, and Ruby could have sworn she saw her bow twitch. "Um, right. Okay."

"Why were you awake?"

"Couldn't sleep."

"Why couldn't you sleep?"

"It's nothing." Blake rolled over onto her side away from Ruby, and resumed reading her book.

Ruby watched her for a moment. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Blake stiffened in her bed, then slowly nodded. "Yeah, but... It's no big deal. I've had worse before. Why did you ask?"

Ruby shrugged. "So did I."

"Oh." Blake turned back to the book she was reading and started ignoring Ruby again. She sighed as she stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do. She could have sworn she saw a bit of pink moving out of the corner of her eye, but she dismissed it as her being tired.

"Ruby Rose." Ruby chuckled nervously as Yang stomped out of the bathroom and grabbed her shirt. "I don't care whether you're my sister or not. If you ever wake me up in the morning like that again, I am going to kill you and throw you out for the Grimm. Understood?"

Ruby saluted meekly. "You got it, sis!" she exclaimed, maybe a bit too loudly.

"Oh no! I forgot that she was here," Weiss said in shock and horror. Ruby turned around to see the older girl sitting up in bed giving Ruby a death stare. "Of course, I didn't expect to get a full night's sleep now that we have a child here, of course." Airily, she knocked past Ruby and disappeared into the bathroom.

Yang grimaced at her. "Great first day so far, huh?"

 _And she doesn't even know about the nightmare..._

* * *

She remembered it in fragments.

The man in black.

No matter where she ran, he followed.

Neo, always there, always watching.

She remembered it in blood.

* * *

"Ruby?"

Ruby frowned as she looked up from her bowl of cereal. She liked watching the milk slowly seep into her Cookie Crunch and drag it down to the bottom. Sometimes it made little bubbles on the top and colored the milk brown, although she usually had lost patience and ate it all before that happened. "Pyrrha, why are you over here?"

"To keep you company." Pyrrha readjusted her circlet on her head as Ruby turned back to poking at her cereal.

"I don't need company."

The older girl laughed, half in disbelief. "You're sitting in the far unlit corner of our massive cafeteria, staring at a wall alone." Setting her tray down on the table behind Ruby, she sat down and leaned forwards so Ruby was forced to look at her. "Come on, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Pyrrha shook her head. "I don't believe that. Where's the rest of your team?"

 _They hate me._ "They didn't want to eat with me."

It was true, she knew. Weiss despised her, and Blake just ignored her. Yang... Yang deserved to have friends, and Ruby didn't want to screw that up for her.

"Well, I do," Pyrrha declared before she dug into her breakfast.

"Hey, what are you doing all the way over here, Pyrrha?"

Ruby turned around to see a boy with sandy hair and a battered old chestplate standing across the table. Sharply inhaling, she placed her cookies down on the table as Pyrrha said, "I was having breakfast with Ruby." The two of them fell into casual conversation, and Ruby tuned them out as she stared past the boy's shoulder.

 _Good morning, Ruby._

Neo was lounging on a nearby table, legs crossed and carelessly splayed over the pristine benches. A glittering parasol rested against her shoulder, and her smirk raised goosebumps on Ruby's arm. Stranger still, her entire body was... flickering. Slowly, her head tilted to one side as she rose from her seat.

"You're not real," she whispered under her breath, digging her fingernails into her palms.

 _Am I?_

Neo's voice had an eerie ring that reverberated through her mind. Ruby flinched as two cold, ice cold, fingertips rested against the back of her neck, fingernails lightly digging into her soft skin. Just as fast, the sensation was gone again. Neo's ghostly form in front of her vanished, then reappeared behind the boy. Her eyes shifted colors as she pulled her umbrella across her neck and pulled on the handle to reveal the gleaming silver of a blade concealed in it's hilt.

 _Should I, Ruby Rose?_

 _No!_ She screamed internally, too frozen in fear to say anything out loud.

 _But what difference would it make? He's useless. He faked his applications to get into the school. He's failing all his classes. Besides..._

For a moment, Ruby's surroundings disappeared, and she watched herself leap after Roman, then fall, then blood, crimson that filled her vision until all that she could see was a smile.

 _There are times when a hunter must take a human lif_ _e,_ Ozpin's voice echoed in her head.

 _You enjoyed killing Roman._

 _You were a hero, Ruby Rose. Don't you want to feel that again?_

 _All you have to do is say yes._

Ruby's eyes were wide as she looked up at Jaune, looked at his thin arms that had never seen a day of hard work or sun in their life, looked at-

 _No!_

Neo's eyes narrowed. In a heartbeat, she had returned to her original spot, staring at her with a cold and calculating look that scared Ruby.

"Um, excuse me? Did you hear me? I said my name is Jaune."

Ruby gasped in a breath she hadn't realized she'd been waiting for and tore her eyes away from Neo. A hand had been thrust into her face, which she hastily shook. "Um, I, uh, hi?"

"Wow, you really were that spaced out," Jaune said in amazement as he sat down across from the two girls. "I guess you're just as tired as you look. Bad dreams?"

Ruby blinked. _Well, I guess there was the one where a black figure was chasing me on Yang's motorcycle, outsped my semblance, captured me, and tortured me before ripping the aura from my body as Neo watched and laughed._ "I guess so."

"That sucks," Jaune said, knowingly nodding his head. "You know, I had a nightmare once where I bought a hat with a cake on it, and when I got home, my sisters all trampled me to get it. It was awful."

Pyrrha's eyes shone with mirth as she said, "That's what keeps you up at night all the time?"

"It _was_ that bad! You haven't met my sisters, they're evil!"

"I get it." That was another boy, accompanied by a tiny girl with fiery orange hair. His long hair had a distinctive purple streak that framed his angular face. "Try making Nora pancakes sometime, you'll see."

"But you don't let me eat them right after they're done! I don't want to wait that long," Nora pouted.

Pyrrha laughed and turned back to Ruby. "Guys, this is Ruby. Ruby, this is Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie. Together, we're team JNPR."

Ruby's stomach growled, and she was suddenly tired of Neo watching her. Staring down into her bowl, she carefully spooned a now soggy piece of Cookie Crunch into her mouth. It tasted the same as always but somehow felt like eating ash. Quietly, she muttered, "I have to go." Picking up her spoon, she activated her semblance. Within seconds, she had downed the entire bowl of cereal, zoomed across the cafeteria to place the dirty bowl in the dishwashing queue, and was back at the table to pick up her bag.

"Ruby?" Pyrrha called after her, but she ignored her.

"Was that-?" she could hear Ren ask as she walked away, a carefully calculated edge to voice.

"Ruby Rose, you guys should be nice to her. She's-"

Ruby sped away. She didn't deserve their pity.

No matter how fast she went, Neo was always still behind her.

Always behind.

Flickering.

* * *

"Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose, you're up next in the arena!"

Ruby broke her blank stare on the far wall as Glynda called her name. Wildly, she got out of her seat and grabbed Crescent Rose before running into the center of the arena.

Her first day had been, more or less, a disaster. In Grimm Theory, Professor Port had called on her twice, and she had been forced to explain in front of the class just how behind on her schoolwork she was. When she had confronted the professor, he explained to her that as a Beacon student, she would recieve no preferential treatment, and had been expected to catch up on three chapters in the days between waking up and starting class. In Oobleck's class, she was out like a light, at least until Neo came.

Neo. She was everywhere, and Ruby wanted to scream her frustration into the filled combat arena. In her classes, in her head, and she didn't know why.

"Ruby!" Her head snapped up to see Weiss glaring at her impatiently. "Be ready, you're wasting all of our time." Myrtenaster's tip was gently resting against the ground.

 _Ruby... I hope you're ready to play today..._

Ruby narrowed her eyes as she unleashed Crescent Rose. Whispers rose up from the assembled crowd around her as they saw the blade, still not entirely clean from the attack. She could feel panic bubbling up in her throat, but she pushed it back down, choosing to focus on her anger at Neo instead. _I'm going to win this, and there's nothing you can do about it._

 _Oh, really..._

She bit her tongue to stop from screaming as Neo flickered into life around Weiss, her sword unsheathed in the same position on Weiss. She cocked her head slightly, then _mimed_ Weiss, who said, "Your move."

 _Your move._

Ruby shot forwards without a second thought. Semblance blurring the crowd around them, she launched herself into the air and took a wild swing at Weiss. The Schnee heiress glared as she sprang away on a small white glyph, sending the tip of Crescent Rose into the ground.

 _Hmm... That was the same move you killed Roman with..._

Using her momentum, Ruby swang around on the tip of her scythe and shot a succession of quick shots at Weiss. Neo smirked at her as her partner wildly sprang from glyph to glyph before launching herself at Ruby.

Metal on aura. Back against the barrier. Ruby saw white.

 _Oh, so that's it..._ Neo stalked around Weiss, carelessly twirling her sword about. _Makes sense, really. What could you, a little fifteen-year-old, do to an opponent? It's not like you could hurt them unless they had their back turned. You really ought to just forfeit. You're never going to win._

Ruby groaned as she got to her feet. _Get out of my head!_

Neo's smirk grew. _You wish._ Stepping next to Weiss, she assumed a ready position. _Well? What are you waiting for?_

Close combat. Weiss barely blocked Ruby's attack as she was suddenly put on the defensive. She faked one way then snaked out with Myrtenaster, just as Neo's blade came whistling towards Ruby's side. She jumped straight up then twisted and swung to block Neo's blade as it swang towards her.

To her shock, her swing went through Neo's blade, and the momentum from her swing sent her towards the ground. A phantom pain rocked her side as Neo's blade crashed into her side.

 _Forget something, did we?_

 _But how-_ Gritting her teeth, Ruby rolled with her semblance as Weiss lunged forwards. Narrowing her eyes, she twisted toward the other girl. Weiss pressed a button on her sword. As Ruby barreled forwards, an explosion of blue dust behind her set her off balance. Weiss sprang up with a glyph, narrowly passing over the blade of her scythe.

Ruby slammed the top of Crescent Rose and fired, sending her combat boots into Weiss' chest.

Weiss collided with the barrier and slid to the ground. A quick glance at the scoreboard showed that Ruby was behind a bit.

She didn't have any time to contemplate that before Neo was on top of her.

Her eyes were steely white as a flurry of blows exploded around Ruby. Even with her semblance, Ruby had a hard time dodging around them. _If I attack her, will my blade just go through her?_ Realizing she didn't have enough endurance to keep up with Neo for long, she gripped Crescent Rose tighter and started fighting back.

Neo dodged gracefully, spiraling around Ruby as blows started to make it through Ruby's defense. Ruby was a whirlwind, sending Crescent Rose through Neo's sword but never hitting the girl. It was almost like she was...

 _You're cheating!_

Neo gave her a chillingly vicious smile. _I'm an illusion. What do you expect?_

 _Then why do your blows hurt?_

 _You're the only person who can see me, Ruby Rose. Just imagine how you look to all of them right now._ _But shouldn't you be looking at your partner right now?_

Ruby spun around, only for Neo's blade to rake down her back from her right shoulder to her left leg. Unable to control her self, she arched her back as Wiess, still on the ground, looked on with something akin to horrid fascination. Eyes narrowing in determination, her partner leveled Myrtenaster at her and clicked open the red dust chamber.

 _Roman. Crescent Rose. Dust._

 _Blood._

Something inside of Ruby, a seething combination of fear and hate and self-defense, took control. Launching herself into the cloud of dust, she brought Crescent Rose over her head and prepared to slam it do-

The world exploded into red light.

Ruby hit the wall and didn't come back up.

* * *

The floor was icy cold.

Her tears had started slowly, but now they were coming in heaving gasps and sobs, echoing through the heavy nothingness around her. She ached, and her back was on fire. She almost wanted to focus on that, just to drown everything else out.

 _Somebody..._

Neo's touch was uncertain at first, and Ruby flinched away as she tried to brush a loose strand of hair out of her face. However, as Neo tried again, Ruby found herself crying into the offputting girl's exposed legs. The two of them sat there for a long time until Ruby had no tears left to cry and her face felt hot and sticky. As she finally started to calm down, she realized who's leg she was lying on and recoiled.

"Ruby..." Neo's usual smirk was gone, replaced with a tiny frown. It was strange to see anything other than maliciousness on her face, but Ruby didn't care.

"Get away from me!" she cried. "Why are you ruining everything? Why can't you just go away?"

Neo's face fell, and she gritted her teeth. After a moment, she got to her feet and walked backward as she slowly vanished.

Ruby blinked, and she was surrounded by mirrors. She caught her breath as she stared at her reflection.

She was covered from head to toe with splotchy bruises everywhere Neo's sword had collided with her aura. That was bad enough. What made her want to vomit was the massive puckered scar running down her back. Any active bleeding had stopped, but she could see the exposed flesh on her back. Another scar was visible on her side, but it was less agitated.

 _I'm sorry, Ruby._

"Why?" Ruby yelled, closing her eyes to drown out her reflection. "Why would you do that? It was a spar! It was my first day of classes! I thought- I thought- This was my dream, to go to Beacon. I never wanted it to happen like this! I never wanted to be a murderer! I never wanted you!"

 _Ru-_

She was screaming into the nothingness now. "No! I want things to go back to the way they were before! I- I hate you! I wish you would die! I wish I would die!"

Breaking down again, Ruby cried for a long time before she realized Neo was crying alongside her.

Slowly she opened her eyes. In the mirror, she saw not herself but Neo. The girl was facing away from her so she couldn't see her cry, but exposed her bare back. Hundreds of scars crisscrossed her back, straight lines that all looked perfect to have been caused by Grimm. Her breath caught in her throat. She tried to speak, but couldn't bring herself to force the words out. _What happened?_

 _Can I come back?_

 _No._ "Yes."

 _Those aren't the same answer._

 _I- I guess so._

Just like that, the mirrors were gone and Neo stood in front of her again. Her hands were shaking, and her head was hung low. "I want to hate you."

"Why?"

"I want you to be just like them," said Neo.

"Them? What?"

"You killed Roman. You- you destroyed him. And then-"

"Then what?" Ruby asked.

"You weren't, okay!" Neo exploded, stalking forwards before stopping and rocking on her heels. "So- So if you aren't like them, then you're like me. You deserve that scar! You deserve to not look perfect, to dream of death. You deserve to be fucked up!"

Ruby stared at Neo in shock. "Y- you think you deserve... that?" She nodded, and Ruby took a step backward. "Th- that's not right!"

Neo's eyes shifted again, one becoming brown and one pink. She smiled regretfully at her. "You should have let me kill him."

"Kill who?"

"The blond boy. It would have been easy, really. I had my blade to his throat. You should hear them when I have to cut through their aura, they scream for such a long time." Her smile slowly fell back into its normal smirk as Neo started to stalk towards Ruby.

Cold fear sank down Ruby's spine as she backed up another step. "W-what are you talking about?"

"I know how much you love building weapons, Ruby Rose. I've seen your memories, I know all about your time in the garage, building Crescent Rose and Ember Cecila," she said maliciously. "I've been fucked over by them far too many times for me not to."

"You- you've seen my memories?" she asked, chilled to the bone. No, she realized, the air around her was growing physically colder.

"Weapons are only dangerous when they are used," Neo said as she turned around and started to walk away. "If you won't use me, I will. If you won't be one of them..."

 _I'll just turn you into one_ _of them_ _myself._

Neo's reflection shattered, and Ruby sank into the darkness.

* * *

"Headmaster! I thought you'd never show up."

Ruby stiffened as she slowly came into wakefulness. Her back injury was gone, and she felt strangely numb. _I don't want them to see me like this._ Slowly, she tried to calm herself down as she listened to their conversation.

"I'm sorry Glynda, but I'm afraid I had other issues to attend to."

"Ozpin, it's 2 o'clock in the morning!" Glynda snapped at him. "Certainly you could have found a moment to check in on your injured student!"

"Would I have done anything different for another student?" Ozpin's tone was only mildly interested, and Ruby could hear him take a loud sip of some drink.

"Oh, please. Don't give me any of that bull. First of all, this is her second serious hospital visit in a week. Secondly, I would have thought you would care a little bit more for your special silver eyes protegee project."

Ruby's insides froze. _Special silver eyes protegee project?_

"Well, Glynda, I can't fault you for speaking your mind, but the matter was of great importance. I do care a great deal for Miss Rose's welfare. Would you mind informing me of what happened?"

"There's a reason I've been sitting here for fourteen hours, professor. Miss Rose seemed to be having... problems. In my class, she paid no attention to the combat, even though Taiyang told me that's the only thing she ever seemed interested in at Signal. Then, during her spar, she kept acting as if she was in pain. After she hit Miss Schnee, she began to have a fight with herself. Then, when Miss Schnee was prepared to start fighting again, she dove straight into a red dust explosion."

"Do you think that it has something to do with..."

"Of course I do!" Glynda exploded. "I can't even imagine what that whole mess has done to her head."

"I'll be sure to speak about it with her during our sessions."

The two professors moved on to talk about other matters and eventually drifted away from Ruby's bed as her mind whirled.

 _What does me having silver eyes have to do with anything?_

Not that it mattered. Lying awake in her hospital bed for the rest of the night, Ruby knew two things.

She had to find a way to protect herself from Neo, and Ozpin could never, ever know about the broken girl inside her head.

* * *

 **[A/N] Well, it is an estimated deadline, after all. I do intend to post regularly, but my summer had a few more things to do than I anticipated. That being said, I am going to set myself another one, because I think it's fair that you guys know the schedule I'm trying to set myself to. By all means, send me angry "ermegersh ur sooooooo late X( post!" reviews, it will motivate me, I promise you. This chapter is also a bit shorter, but the ending place was perfect, so I don't really mind.**

 **Like I said, your feedback means a ton to me. Any reaction or advice you can give means the world to me, and thank you for the overwhelming support you guys have given me in follows and favorites.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 9/2/17**


	4. V1 - Black and White

Chapter Four: Black and White

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 9/2/17

* * *

The forest was cool in the early morning. Songbirds chirped in the boughs of towering gray oak trees as twigs snapped beneath Ruby's bare feet. A small dog trotted alongside her as she toyed with a miniature weapon in her hands.

It was a small sword Ruby had made her self. When she pressed a button on the hilt, it shifted into a small shield with a messy painting of a rose on it. Her Mom had told her the sword was amazing, so Ruby took it everywhere she went. That was what the hunters in her storybooks did, after all.

Ruby laughed as Zwei spotted a sunny spot up ahead and ran ahead to roll in a patch of clover. "Zwei, come on! We're looking for raspberries!" The puppy stopped rolling and looked at her, grass covering his black and white head. Ruby giggled as she ran over to him and brushed his head off. Looking up, she grinned as she saw a bush filled with plump red berries. "You found them, good boy!"

Ruby slowly worked her way around the bush, staining her mouth and her fingers red. Zwei trotted after her wagging his tail. Occasionally, he would jump up and eat a berry off of the bush. She smiled mischievously as she looked down at him. _I_ knew _feeding him me and Yang's vitamin every morning was a good idea!_

Something caught her eye. Turning away from the bush, she caught a glimpse of water through the trees. "Come on, boy," she said, and Zwei trotted along behind her as she pushed through the underbrush.

Ruby loved exploring the small forest behind her house. Houses were far and few between on the secluded island of Patch, and in between was a beautiful mixture of wide ancient forests, open clearings, and wetlands. Ponds sprinkled all around the island had always seemed mysterious to her, so she loved it whenever she stumbled across one she had never seen before.

The water was shallow, a murky navy-brown color beginning to reflect the rising sun's thin light. Ruby caught her breath as she saw the hundreds of lotus flowers floating at the edge of the water. She knelt down at the edge of the water, not giving her skirt or cloak a second thought as she reached out and scooped a single blossom off its lily pad.

"Oh," she said softly. The soft lavender-lilac petals spiraled away from the yellow center, still cupping the early morning dew. "Zwei, look at this!"

An urgent bark from the dog came from behind her. Ruby set the flower down gently and wandered over to where Zwei was. Her stomach sank as she saw the mangled remains of a deer in front of her. A strange black substance coated its exposed flesh, and it smelled rancid as a shadow fell over it.

Ruby screamed. The Beowulf howled as it towered over her, taking a step forwards. Zwei growled and launched himself into the Grimm's chest, sending it staggering backward. Turning around, Ruby ran as fast as she could away from the beast, which wasn't very fast.

The forest was darker around her as she ran. A splash came from behind her as Zwei was knocked into the pond, followed by the thundering pounds of the Grimm. She stumbled back into the clearing, pulling out her tiny sword as her raspberry bush was trampled.

 _I can beat it! I'll be like the heroes in the book Dad reads to me,_ she hoped bravely as the Beowulf walked forwards.

As she tensed, the beast lashed out. She was barely able to move to one side. Spotting an opportunity, she hit the Beowulf's claws only for the tiny blade to bounce off again.

She started to back up, then tripped.

The shield was bigger than the sword, but not big enough. Ruby screamed as she blocked the first blow, desperately crawling backward on the ground. The beast's chipped bone mask was stained with blood, and its massive canine incisors dripped with black spit. Its red eyes held nothing inside, and that scared Ruby the most.

The second blow crumpled the shield like a tin can.

She kept backing up, but was stopped short as her back collided with a massive tree trunk. She screamed as loud as she could, but nothing stopped the Grimm from drawing back and ripping its claws into her leg.

Blood. Pain.

Her vision spun wildly. She could barely comprehend what was happening in front of her. Was that Uncle Qrow who had just dropped out of the sky and split the Beowulf's skull open? Her shoulder shook, but she shook her head. "My leg. My leg hurts."

Was it weird, that she couldn't feel her body? Did it matter? Her head felt funny.

"Shit. Ruby, can you hear me?"

She shook her head again. "My leg is hurt."

"Fuck, she's in shock," she could hear him mutter. He gripped her shoulder with renewed intensity. "Ruby, I have to awaken your aura, or you're going to die. You have to nod or say yes so I can do it."

"Something is wrong with my leg," she mumbled. She was tired, and she couldn't feel anything. Maybe if she went to sleep…

"Ruby, please." Uncle Qrow sounded sad, she thought. She didn't want that. What had he said to do?

"Yes."

He sighed sharply in relief. Suddenly, Ruby heard a strange voice in her mind. _For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death._ Qrow placed a hand on her chest. _I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee._

The last thing Ruby saw before she fell into a deep sleep was the ghostly red light that surrounded her. Then, she was gone.

 _You don't need me to give you nightmares, Ruby Rose,_ Neo's voice whispered in the back of her mind.

 _All I need to do is find them._

* * *

Ruby shifted uncomfortably in her chair. The air in the room was too cold, the aesthetic was too mechanical, and she longed to be exploring the scenery she saw outside the massive clock tower window. Fidgeting, she smoothed out her cloak against the fabric, then bunched it up again.

"Miss Rose, how are you today?" Ozpin said cheerfully as he settled into his seat across from Ruby. He set his drink down on the table. Ruby had seen the coffee machine on the way in; that was one less thing she had to wonder about.

"Fine."

The headmaster hummed as he pulled out a wooden box from under the table. "And how did you sleep?"

"Fine."

"And based on your eyes, which seem rather bloodshot, as well as reports from the nurse of you waking up screaming, I would be inclined to not believe you," he said thoughtfully. "Miss Rose, do you know why you're here?"

Ruby slunk down in her chair as Ozpin pulled out a chessboard from the box. _I don't need this!_ She shook her head. He gave her a hard stare, and she said, "No."

He sighed, then took a long drink from his cup. "If you refuse to be honest and open with me, I'm afraid this will be quite painful for both of us." Picking up the chess pieces, he set them out on the board. "Do you know how to play?"

"Yes."

"We are going to play a game, Miss Rose. I will be white, and you will be black. When I move, I will ask a question. You will respond with a move of your own, and you will give me a longer answer than one word. Are you ready?" The headmaster's eyes were hard, and Ruby pulled herself out of her slump and narrowed her eyes at the board. _Why is he making me do this? I want to leave._

 _Don't be stupid, Rose._

It took most of Ruby's willpower to stop herself from flinching as Neo faded in behind Ozpin. _Get out of my head!_

Neo smirked as she stalked around the desk. Ruby did flinch as a cold finger ran down her neck, curling the uneven ends of her hair. _Powerful men are always the same. They believe that they are cunning, knowledgeable, and in control. They would never expect you, poor little fifteen-year-old Ruby Rose, traumatized and depressed, to outsmart them._

 _But-_

 _Cunning is not one of your strong suits. Good thing you have me._

Ruby clenched her hand around her cloak as Neo formed an illusory chair next to her and sat down. _I hate you._

 _Good._

"Miss Rose, I asked you, are you ready?" Ozpin had a calm smile, but his eyes searched hers for answers. She wondered what he saw when he looked into her eyes, considering how much he seemed to care about them.

"Yes."

Ozpin nodded as he picked up a pawn and moved it forwards. "First, can you repeat to me what I told you in the hospital?"

Ruby moved her pawn to match his, blankly staring at the chessboard. "There are times where a hunter must take a human life," she repeated vacantly.

"Interesting," the headmaster mused as he made his move. "If I remember correctly, I actually told you 'a hunter must take a human life to protect.' Tell me, do you still believe that you are a murderer?"

Ruby's eyes widened, and she shot a quick look at Neo, whose smirk widened as she dug her silver boots into a stack of paper. _Did she-_

 _Oh, but you were the one who thought it, didn't you?_

"I- Yes, of course I do!" Ruby exploded. "I killed Roman! He didn't deserve to die!"

 _Couldn't have said it better myself._

"I don't believe you've made your move, Miss Rose," he said. "You seem to be finding the side of my desk rather interesting. Should I be worried?"

 _I assume that was rhetorical._

 _Don't you ever shut up?_ Ruby growled. Neo recoiled as if she had been stung, and gave Ruby an ugly scowl."No, Headmaster." Staring at the knight the professor had just moved, she moved another pawn and sighed. _I hate this already. This better not be something we do every day._

"Roman Torchwick was a murderer and a thief. Why should he have lived?"

Ruby thought about it for a second. "What gives me the right to decide?"

"I believe I am asking the questions, Ruby." Ozpin smiled thinly and took another sip of coffee.

 _Then stop asking stupid questions._

"Then stop asking stupid questions," Ruby spat out before realizing what she had just said. She considered apologizing but decided against it. She had meant it, after all.

Ozpin looked as if someone had struck him. "I see. Do you believe that you should be dead?"

 _Yes._

Neo sighed and leaned back in her chair, running a hand through her hair. _This is boring. Tell him to stop asking questions he already knows the answers to._

Ruby moved her piece, then glared at Ozpin until he stopped waiting.

"..."

"..."

"Miss Rose," Ozpin finally said after ten minutes. "I spent a good deal of time your father, Taiyang. Would you like to know what he told me?"

Ruby blinked. _When was he talking to dad?_

 _While you were sleeping._

 _I hate you._ "Yes."

 _We've established that._

 _Well, I hate you more now._

Ozpin drew his high-backed chair closer to his desk, mussing up his silvery hair before leaning on his clasped hands to stare at Ruby. "Your father told me that you are one of the brightest people he's ever met. He told me you are optimistic. Cheerful. Intelligent. You were the star student of Signal's combat class. You built the second semi-automatic sniper rifle and scythe hybrid in the world. Your report cards call you engaged. Your friends call you loyal and a leader." Ozpin moved his piece. "Ruby, we all are very concerned about your well being here, and that's not the girl we've been seeing since you arrived here. Do you still feel like that person?"

She shrugged, still angry at Ozpin and Neo. "I've always been me."

"So what changed?" he asked quietly, writing something down on a piece of paper.

Neo groaned, toying with the handle of her umbrella. _This man honestly doesn't even know how to question someone properly. He keeps asking the same question and wants a different answer._

Ruby hated how she kept agreeing with what Neo was saying. "Well, I'm a murderer now," she said, "So that might have something to do with it."

Ozpin sighed. "Do you have any explanation for your actions during Professor Goodwitch's class yesterday?"

Ruby glared at him. "I fought Weiss. Are we done yet?"

The headmaster massaged his temple as he took a sip of coffee. "Since you seem so eager to be done here, I have one more question for you. Has something else, something besides Roman's death, been affecting you?"

Ruby's head spun. _I could tell him about Neo. I could tell him about the dreams._

 _But you won't,_ Neo hissed triumphantly. She stood up from her seat, which dissolved behind her, and flickered away.

 _Because I can't._

 _Special silver eyes protegee project,_ his voice rang in her mind.

"No, Headmaster," she said, meeting his eyes."There's nothing else." The words felt dead on her lips.

"Very well." Ozpin got up from his seat and walked over to stare out of the window. "Tomorrow, you will be completing an initiation exercise along with your team, seeing as you were not present for the first one. We will have another counseling session after that. Our time is up. You may go."

Quickly, Ruby stood up and walked towards the elevator, thankful to finally be done with the meeting. She felt… Lost. Broken. Angry. Whatever the session was supposed to have accomplished, she was pretty sure it wasn't that. Mechanics in the elevator hissed as the door slid shut.

Neo's laugh echoed through her mind as Ruby stared at her reflection in the polished elevator door. Deep bags under her bloodshot eyes betrayed her exhaustion, and she seemed to sag, as if under too much weight. She looked away, turned around to stare at the padded wall behind her. She was barely surprised that Neo was standing there.

 _That man is a joke. He thinks he is qualified to give therapy? No, obviously he doesn't, he just wants information out of you._ Neo stared Ruby directly in the eyes, and she wilted as she saw half pink, half white.

"That was therapy?" Ruby whispered, drained.

 _Did you even listen to him?_ Neo's face darkened, and her image flickered rapidly as her aura briefly flared to life, a corona of black and white arcing violently like electricity around her body. _Second to build a sniper rifle? Engaged on report cards? If you ask me, that man wants you to be his little golden girl, and he's throwing a fit that he got your mess instead._

 _I-_

 _Do you want to know how I see you?_ Ruby backed up as Neo advanced on her, forcing her back into the elevator doors. She tilted her head as she stroked her hand down Ruby's face. _Aw, that's adorable. You're scared of me, aren't you?_

 _No!_

 _Don't lie to me, Ruby Rose. I can feel it. Whatever would you do if I told you I could kill you, right here. It would be easy just to slit your-_

"Get away from me!" Ruby screamed, shoving Neo backward and into the far wall. The other girl hit the fabric hard, and her expression turned to downright fury. She grabbed her sheathed umbrella from her belt and undid it, spinning the blade around before resting it on the elevator floor. Ruby could feel the blade fly by her face, but she was too shocked and terrified to care.

The elevator door opened behind her, and Ruby stumbled out. "You're real," she whispered, backing up as Neo slowly advanced.

 _Ozpin wants his perfect little girl. You know what I see? I see the girl who's too shy to start a real conversation with new people. I see a girl who's too reckless to stop herself from hurting herself or others._ _You're_ _a liar._ _You're_ _a murderer._ _You don't belong here_ _._

 _No, no, no. I can't- you can't- You're real. She's real._

"Ruby?" She spun around, reaching for Crescent Rose but only finding air. It was Blake, who was giving her a strange glance. "Are you okay?"

She couldn't take it anymore. Activating her semblance, she sped away, through Beacon, into her dorm room, into her bathroom. She slammed the door as Yang and Weiss cried out confusedly, then retched into the toilet.

 _That won't get rid of me._

Ruby groaned as she buried her head in her arms, only to have to pick it up again to have another round of dry heaving. She had only had a piece of toast for breakfast and no lunch that day anyway, so it wasn't like she had much to come up. _If you're real, then…_

 _Oh, Ruby, I don't want you to die. I'm only going to make you use me, in the same way I'm going to use you._

 _Use me?_ Ruby felt faint.

 _You shattered, Rose. I can feel it, in your mind, in everything you do. Here's the thing- once you're broken, nobody's going to fix you. This world gives you your shit, and then it fucks you over with it again and again until you're dead. Either you fix yourself, or_ _you die_ _._

 _Are you broken, Neo?_

Her laugh was short and cruel. _I'm not dead yet, am I?_

Ruby had no response to that.

* * *

"Ruby?"

"H-hi, Yang."

She tensed, curling up into a tighter ball as Yang climbed into her bunk bed and sat down next to her. Her sister's purple eyes were filled with worry as she brushed a loose strand of hair out of Ruby's face. "You're crying..."

"No I'm not," she sniffled.

Yang laughed in disbelief as she pulled Ruby into a tight hug. Losing it, Ruby sobbed into her shoulder, digging her feet into the tangled comforter around her. Everything- It all was too much, and she couldn't hold it all in. She didn't want to hold it in. If she was being honest with herself, she couldn't even remember the last time she had kept a secret from Yang. "Hey, it's alright. You're alright," Yang whispered into her hair, and she cried even harder.

Once Ruby's tears had dried into gasping breaths, Yang loosened her grip on her. "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

She took one look at her sister and as started crying again.

Yang sighed as she hugged her again. "Well, I already got that part. You didn't have to start again to tell me, silly."

Ruby giggled despite herself. "I'm sorry," she whispered, staring past Yang to look at the glowing sliver of moonlight shining through her fabric canopy.

Yang squeezed her tighter, resting her head on Ruby's forehead. "Hey, hey, shh… It's okay..."

"Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"Um… It's just- Do you think I'm different than I was before I- I k-"

Yang let go of Ruby and looked her in the eyes. "No, I would never think that, and you shouldn't either!" she said fiercely, and her aura flickered around her.

"But Ozpin said-"

"Ozpin? What does Ozpin have to do with this?"

Ruby shrugged. "I'm supposed to be doing therapy with him during my independent study."

"What?" Yang's eyes narrowed. "Our school has a registered psychologist on staff. Why on Remnant would you be going to him for that?"

"I don't know."

Yang frowned thoughtfully. "What did he say?"

"Well, he told me that he talked to Dad, and Dad told him all about me. I think..."

Ruby froze and stared down at her hands. _Was- Was I really just about to repeat what Neo said to me?_ _I can't do that! She- she told me that she was trying to manipulate me. What if- But-_

 _But what if she's right?_

 _I'm fifteen. I don't belong at Beacon, I should still have another two years at_ _Signal. It doesn't make sense._

"You think what?"

Yang snapped her out of her thoughts, and Ruby looked back at her. Her chest felt knotted, but… No, it was nothing. It had to be nothing. "No, he just talked about all of the good things Dad said about me. I don't know, it felt kinda weird, I guess."

"Ruby, I'm going to talk to Dad about this," Yang said uncertainly. "I really think you need a real psychologist."

Her face fell. "So you do think-"

"No, no, it's, well…" Yang sighed, "Blake told me about what she saw by the elevator."

"Oh," Ruby whispered.

"There's that, and also what happened when you fought Weiss… We talked to her about that, by the way," Yang smirked, but there was no mirth behind it. "She'll behave the next time you two have to do something like that together. We- We're just worried about you, Ruby."

"Even Weiss?"

"Yeah, even Weiss."

Yang threw her arm over Ruby's shoulder, and they sat on her bed staring into space for a while.

"Do you know what we're doing tomorrow?" Yang asked suddenly.

"Um… Some initiation thing, right?"

"Yeah, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to kick some monster ass!" she exclaimed, pumping her fist in excitement.

"Yang!" Ruby blushed.

Her sister rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on Ruby. You're fifteen! Are you still going to do that every time I fucking curse?"

"Yes!"

"Only you," Yang muttered. Sighing, she let go of Ruby and swung off of her bed, lowering herself down until only her head was in the curtain. "You feeling better?" Ruby nodded. "Well, good night then. Try to get some sleep tonight, okay?" The curtain shifted, and Yang was gone in the moonlight.

* * *

The Emerald Forest stretched out across the horizon, clinging to the foothills of the massive mountain range in the distance. Deep green shadows spilled into the canyon below Beacon Cliff, which rose high into the blue morning sky.

Ruby gulped nervously as she stepped onto her launch pad. Last night was the best sleep she had gotten since she had arrived at Beacon, but the world still felt heavy around her. Besides, she was about to have her first best chance to prove herself to her teammates, and she didn't want to blow it. None of those things were the real reason she felt like puking, though.

Neo was strangely absent from her mind, and that scared her more than anything.

"Alright, is everyone in their positions?" Ozpin asked. He and Glynda were standing at the cliff edge, scrolls in hand. Ruby glanced to her right. Yang, Weiss, and Blake all looked ready for this, so why wasn't she? Gulping, she tried to look fierce as she nodded. "Wonderful."

"Your initiation will take place in the Emerald Forest. Your objective is to return a chess piece located somewhere in the forest. Additionally, all four of you must return to this cliff top before your trial is complete," said Glynda, fixing a hard stare at each of the girls. "Good luck."

Ozpin pressed a button, and Weiss was launched into the air. Ruby gaped as her partner spiraled down towards the forest below. How was she supposed to survive that? Blake and Yang were launched next, the later looking particularly excited about it. Ruby smiled as she watched her sister whoop and blast off towards Blake with Ember Celica. She wasn't even paying attention as she was sent skyward.

Ruby sprang into action as she fell towards the forest. Quickly unclasping Crescent Rose from her belt, she unleashed the scythe as she hurtled towards the trees. Leaves swirled around her as she plunged into a tree. Just as she was about to collide with the trunk, she pushed her rifle forwards and shot into the tree before flipping and springing off as the massive trunk collapsed into a thicket. Hooking her blade around a second tree, she spiraled down to land on the forest floor.

The first thing she noticed was that the forest was eerily silent.

Ruby gulped as she clutched Crescent Rose to her chest. Turning away from the cliff, she began to slowly walk in the direction she had seen Yang go.

She had spent plenty of time hunting on Patch, practicing with Uncle Qrow. Silence was never good. Silence meant Grimm.

She considered using her semblance for a moment but decided against it. She knew how to walk silently, but she didn't have the agility to move silently when she moved at top speeds. Instead, she darted from tree to tree across the dappled landscape, avoiding dried leaves and sticks as she picked her way across the uneven landscape.

The forest was sparse, with plenty of rock formations and small rivulets interspersed with bushes and clearings. Ruby's combat teacher at Signal had given them lessons on how to move undetected and remain aware. Now, Ruby did her best to lower her heart rate and cull her anxiety, ready to spring away at any sign of life, even though her red and black outfit wasn't exactly the best for stealth.

When she heard the rustling behind her, she spun around with Crescent Rose, but it was already too late.

A slender hand covered her mouth as she was tackled to the ground. _What the-_ Her assailant wrapped her other arm around Ruby's neck and rolled her underneath a nearby rock formation. Her grip was iron solid, and Ruby started to panic as the tiny cavity they had disappeared into turned pitch black. She gave a muffled scream as she kicked with her semblance, desperately trying to get free. _I don't want to die here!_

 _Then shut the fuck up and stop struggling and talking!_

Ruby froze, blood running like glacial ice through her veins. _Neo?_

 _Shut up! He can hear us!_

Neo sounded scared. If she hadn't been terrified before, she was now.

A low rumbling noise echoed through the forest above, and Ruby instinctively tried to cower deeper into the tiny cave. She was stopped as Neo wrapped both of her legs around Ruby's midsection, digging the heels of her boots into her stomach. Ruby winced as something next to them walked forwards, deep pounding steps of more than two or four legs.

Metal clattered as a deep raspy voice intoned, "Oh, Neopolitan. I know you're hiding here." He laughed, a coarse bark that sounded worn out by age. "Foolish. Once I get the Rose girl and her friends, it won't matter for you anyways."

 _Me?_ Ruby gulped, and the rustling noises next to them stopped. She held her breath as Neo dug her sharp fingernails into the back of her neck. She barely stopped herself from whimpering as metal clattered again and the _thing_ outside left just as fast as it had arrived.

They sat there, perfectly still, for a while.

Finally, Neo shifted, and Ruby took the opportunity to rip herself out of her grasp and scramble as far away from her as possible. "Who was that, and why is he looking for us?" she whispered.

 _Ruby, if you don't calm the fuck down, you're going to get us both killed!_ A strange light filled the crevasse, and Ruby gawked as she saw the light bulb that had just appeared in midair. The space was barely big enough for Ruby to sit up in, and got much narrower at the entrance. Or at least, where Ruby thought the entrance should have been.

"No, I'm not going to calm down!" she said, wildly staring around her. "What- How did you do that? Where'd the entrance go? Give me Crescent Rose back!" Activating her semblance, Ruby tore her weapon from Neo's hands and cradled it against her chest.

 _Illusion. I can't talk like this too much, or he'll find us!_ Neo barked, a rough edge to her voice betraying her wild fury.

Ruby pushed her back against the cool stone. "You can control what I see?" she asked faintly.

The other girl shot her a look that made Ruby feel like a small child.

 _That means-_ No, she didn't want to think about what that meant. "Just talk normally, then! Who was that? What's happening?"

Neo recoiled and shook her head. _We have to go now!_ The light above her dimmed, flickering, and the world outside was visible for a moment as daylight flooded the crevasse.

Ruby narrowed her eyes as Neo started scrambling for the exit. "No, you're not leaving," she hissed. Activating her semblance, she flung herself on top of Neo and pinned her to the ground. The smaller girl was easy to restrain, even as she struggled with her entire body. The world wildly flickered around Ruby, shifting from scene to scene, but she ignored it as she stared down at Neo. "Give me answers!"

She caught her breath as she looked down.

Neo's face was flushed, and her eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Her mouth was open. Her teeth were flawless, pearly white and perfectly straight. Only…

"Your tongue," Ruby whispered, horrified. "What-"

Neo blinked, and two deeply layered white eyes stared back at her with biting anger. _He used to play games with me_ _. He liked to tie me down,_ _always said he liked us better when we took it like animals_ _. One day, he decided_ _I had gotten to talkative, so during one of our sessions he cut it out. He died slower than the rest of them._

A deep revulsion settled in Ruby's throat, crawling under her skin. "S- s- someone cut your tongue out?" she asked, sick to her stomach.

Neo shuddered, then composed herself, settling into her smirk again. _They said it was poison, they slipped it into his food. It wasn't the nice kind either, it was the sort that rotted you inside before you even knew you were going to die. After, they let me kill the rest of his men too… I'm sure you can imagine how… satisfying it was to watch them slump to the ground after I-_

"Stop!" Ruby cried, something breaking inside of her. _Someone would do that to Neo? How can she talk about it like that? How can she talk about killing people like that?_ "You killed people?" she blurted out, head hanging low as her hair spilled into her face.

Neo didn't respond as she threw Ruby off of her. She pulled herself out of the crevasse, then glared back in. _Are you coming, or should I leave you to die here?_

She stared at her, still in shock. Neo had killed people. Deep down, a part of her knew it made sense, but- _You-_

 _I guess that just makes two of us, doesn't it?_ she said, bitterly turning away.

Silenced, Ruby clambered out into the open air. Neo was watching the forest nervously as if she expected Grimm to jump out at her at any second. She hadn't noticed just how much taller she was than the tiny girl. Neo looked like one of the dolls she and Yang used to play with, with her half pink, half brown hair and her glitzy outfit. Dad always made them clean up carefully and put the toys back on their place on the shelf because they were too fragile to lay around on the floor. Those dolls were all perfect, fresh out of their packaging and ready for display.

No other doll Ruby had ever seen had scars crisscrossing their back.

No other dolls were missing their tongue.

No other dolls had killed people.

 _I don't need your pity._

 _I wasn't-_

 _You can't lie to me._

 _But-_

Neo spun around and violently ripped her umbrella off of her belt. _If we don't move now, he will beat us to your training site, kill you, then murder your friends and your sister for good measure._

 _Why would anyone do that? Who is he?_

Ruby clutched her scythe as Neo shot towards her, then staggered as the tiny girl jumped onto her back. "Wha- Neo?" She was as light as a feather as her boots wrapped around Ruby's chest again.

She also was holding her sword to Ruby's throat. _You are going to stop asking questions. I'm going to show you exactly where to take your semblance, and you're going to follow it without question. Do you understand?_

She clenched her throat, not daring to nod as her heart raced. _Yes._

 _Go._

Ruby blinked as a path in front of her glowed in shifting black and white. _Is this an illusion?_ She hesitantly stepped onto the path and gasped as it shattered and disintegrated upwards. "It's like glass," she whispered. Spinning around, she walked backward, watching with a passive awe as the shards flew into the sky in a cloud of jagged dust. "It's so pretty."

 _Ruby,_ Neo hissed, pressing the flat of her blade against her throat.

Ruby took off like a bullet, sending rose petals and crystal debris spiraling into the forest behind her. Holding her top speed was hard for her, even without Neo on her back, but she pushed herself harder as the implications of what Neo had told her slowly began to sink through Ruby's cold shock and disgust. _Yang is in danger! If anything happened to her because of me-_

She would rather die.

The path grew increasingly complex as they wound through the forest, and Ruby was forced to use her scythe as she sprung from tree to tree and around rocks. She could feel her aura slowly start to drain as she relaxed her pace a tiny bit. She was pushing her reflexes to her limit, and her muscles were burning for it. _Why are we going like this?_

 _We can't let the Grimm see us, or else he'll find us,_ she hissed as she sliced an incoming branch out of the way with her sword.

 _How? Does he have something to do with the Grimm?_

 _Yes._

Moments later, Ruby exploded into a wide clearing around a dilapidated stone temple. In the center of the temple, a podium stood holding four golden chess pieces. She dashed over and grabbed all four pieces, zipping them up securely into a pocket of her coat. Pausing for a moment, she realized she was panting heavily, her lungs and her legs aflame as her depleted aura slowly glowed around them. _When was the last time I was out of breath?_

 _Ruby, something's coming. You need to put me down._

Neo got off of Ruby's back as a rumbling noise came from the forest. She squinted as she saw yellow. "Is that Yang?"

She nodded. _They won't be able to see me, but if that_ _d_ _eathstalker sees you, it's too late. You have to activate your semblance now. I'll block its vision. Your first strike is at the tail, then go for its eyes._

 _D_ _eathstalker?!_ Ruby's head spun as she spotted yellow again. _No, I can't worry about that! I have to get to Yang!_

She tensed, then reached for her aura. Shock ran through her as she realized how low it was, but she ignored it and shot forwards.

Blake and Yang stopped fleeing as the deathstalker reared back and screeched, suddenly raging in place without any clear reason. A red blur tumbled past them, sending rose petals tumbling down to land in Yang's hand. She caught them and stared at them. "Ruby?"

Ruby sprang off the ground at top speed just as the giant scorpion swung its massive claws into the air. Unleashing Crescent Rose, she used the blade to swing herself under the claw, wincing as blood rushed to her head. Kicking off of the claw, she spun in midair, her scythe creating a deadly whirlwind of roses and blades as she bit into the soft connective tissue holding up the deathstalker's stinger. Unable to stop her momentum, Ruby collided with the stump, landing in a spray of black Grimm blood on the forest floor as she rolled.

"Ruby, be careful!" Yang yelled as the Grimm backed up suddenly.

Ruby's eyes flickered up to the massive beast, and she sprang from her knees to circle the Grimm. It was jerking back and forth wildly as she kept out of its vision, and she hissed to Neo, _What are you doing to it?_

 _It thinks that a pack of Nevermores is slowly eating it alive. You're helping._

Ruby growled as a wave of rage bubbled through her stomach. She hated Neo for everything she had done. She hated the deathstalker for chasing her sister. She hated her teammates for hating her. She hated Ozpin for putting her in Beacon. She hated Roman for dying, for existing. She hated herself for what she had done, to herself and to everyone else.

Pouring even more aura into her semblance, she punched forwards like a bullet.

The hardened tip of Crescent Rose rammed into its bone mask like a battering ram as Ruby flipped and raked the blade down the creature's back while shooting her rifle it the back of its head. Curving upward, she pointed the blade downwards, kicked off of the stump, and split the scorpion's mask in half.

Panting, Ruby landed with the deathstalker behind her and let Crescent Rose's tip rest against the forest floor.

Neo laughed, and Ruby caught a flash of brown and pink in the trees. _I'll admit, Rose, you're not half bad. We'll have to work on that._

Ruby's eyes flashed as Neo flickered in the corner of her vision. _What do you mean, we?_

 _Oh, you'll see. We need to leave, now._

"Ruby?" She spun around to look at Yang, who had a weird expression on her face. "Are you… okay?"

She looked down at herself. Her crimson outfit was coated in black blood, turning it an even darker shade of red. It stung her pale skin, which was covered with cuts and bruises from her wild dash through the forest. "I'm fine." Ruby realized Yang was probably worrying about her, and she gave her best smile. "Aren't you going to thank me? It was chasing you guys, right?"

Blake bit her lit and took a step, looking a bit green around the edges. Yang muttered, "Thanks," then paused for a moment. "You're tired," she whispered in genuine shock, raising her arm to touch Ruby. She flinched back, and Yang quickly dropped her hand as she clenched her fists. "What on earth were you doing out there? I've never seen you like this before."

Ruby flicked Crescent Rose, and Yang sprang backward as she rested her weapon's hilt against her shoulder. She took a deep breath and looked at Yang, Blake, and Neo, who had appeared behind them, each in turn. "We're not safe here. There's a lot of Grimm coming, and we have to get out of this forest right now."

"Where's Weiss?" Blake asked hesitantly. "Weren't the partners supposed to meet up?"

Ruby's eyes widened as a high pitched scream rang through the forest. "Come on, we have to go find her!"

Yang and Blake nodded, and Ruby shot deeper into the Emerald Forest to save her teammate.

* * *

 **[A/N] Here we are, with a long chapter on time! Sorry about the cliffhanger, but this chapter could have gone to 8,000 words or something ridiculous if I hadn't cut it off there. Feel free to tell me whether you'd prefer longer chapters with longer times between updates or what I'm doing right now.**

 **Honestly, your support has been overwhelming for this story. I would never have imagined that I would have nearly a hundred readers after just three chapters. Seriously, thank you to each and every one of you who reviews, favorites, and follows this work, every single one of you is amazing. Also, thank you to Half Breed AngelicDemon for adding me to their C2!**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 9/16/17**


	5. V1 - Umber

Chapter Five: Umber

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 9/23/17

* * *

Weiss Schnee smiled in satisfaction. She finally had all the Grimm surrounding her in one place, after five minutes of maneuvering and picking them off. Cocking Myrtenaster, she aimed her biggest cartridge at the center of the pack and-

A dark red blur swept into the clearing in a whirlwind of roses and blades. Launching herself straight into the pack of Grimm, Ruby shot and cut in a wild circle as she decimated the group of Grimm. Coming to a stop, she threw Crescent Rose over her shoulder and looked at Weiss. "Weiss, are you okay?" she asked tiredly, the effects of another full-blown dash through the forest hitting her hard.

Weiss gaped at her as she slowly lowered Myrtenaster. "Ruby! What the hell?" she shrieked, hands shaking as she clutched her weapon.

"Yup, she's fine," Ruby muttered. _Maybe I should have just left her for the Grimm._

"I could have killed you!"

Ruby crossed her arms after she clipped Crescent Rose onto her belt. "You could at least thank me for saving you."

"You- you think you saved me?" Weiss spluttered. "I will have you know I was about to kill all of them before you got in my way!"

Yang, who had come up behind them, pitched in. "So what was all the screaming about?"

Weiss blushed and pointed down to her normally white boot. "I didn't notice the mud puddle, okay?" Yang took one look at the Schnee heiress and burst out laughing, and Weiss gave her a venomous glare. "It's not funny! Do you know how much these boots cost?"

"You're such a spoiled brat," Ruby said as a wave of exhaustion washed over her. _It's strange, I didn't realize how much aura I actually had until just now when it's almost gone._

"At least I'm smart enough to not put myself in danger every time I fight!" Ruby flinched as Weiss started listing incidents. "Jumping off of buildings after criminals, running into dust explosions. Didn't you know that _real_ hunters who actually _graduate_ from lower academies learn how to not kill themselves when they go into combat?"

"Weiss," Yang called over, hands on her knees as she took deep breaths. "Lay off Ruby for a second, will ya?"

"Oh sure, take her side," Weiss said before turning away in a huff.

Ruby stepped forward and opened her mouth, then shut it again. She knew Weiss was right, but she didn't care. _Hunters are supposed to protect people, not themselves!_

 _Ruby._

 _What?_

 _You didn't listen to me. I told you to stay out of sight from the Grimm._

 _But you told me to attack the Deathstalker?_

 _It's too late. He's coming._ Neo flickered into sight in front of Ruby, her disheveled hair drifting down to cover her brown eye so all Ruby could see was a glittering pink.

"Um, guys?" Blake burst into the clearing as she whipped Gambol Shroud into her hand. "There's a lot of Grimm coming behind us. Shouldn't we be doing something?"

Yang grinned as she slammed her gauntlets together, sending orange sparks flying. "Great, I'm ready to kick some-"

"No, we have to run!" Ruby exclaimed.

Blake and Yang both stared at her as Neo toyed with her sword. _Smooth. Real smooth, Rose._

Weiss groaned as she threw her ponytail over her shoulder. "If you hadn't noticed, we are at a school for hunters. If you're not going to kill Grimm, why are you here?"

"Because…" Ruby said slowly, casting around for a good excuse. _Let's see, I can't tell them about Neo, or any of that..._ "All we have to do is bring back the chess pieces, right?"

Blake nodded. "That's what Ozpin said."

"Aha!" Yang exclaimed. "You're right, it's gotta be a test!"

"I bet Ozpin is timing us right now." The group turned to look at Weiss, who shrugged.  
"My father would do the same when we trained. I hate to admit it, but Ruby may have a point. We should probably head back fast."

Ruby nodded wildly as a low rumbling noise grew behind them. "Yeah, let's go!"

Her teammates nodded, and the group took off. After a few minutes of running, they came to the deep ravine that separated Beacon from the forest. Blake led the charge onto the bridge, followed close behind by Yang and Weiss.

Ruby never saw the ground coming up towards her.

White.

Black.

Red.

She blinked sluggishly as pressure weighed down on her chest and her mind. It was as if someone had tied a string to her heart, a dangling chord of chromatic energy spiraling out into nothingness. Focusing on it, she realized she could see it, feel it, so she reached out and grabbed it. A warm feeling spread through Ruby as the thread shone in her hands. Through the darkness, she saw the hazy outline of a girl, steely white rippling with black energy.

Ruby's vision glowed a soft red as she stared up at the girl on her chest. Neo's expression was distant as she pushed her hands down. _Neo?_

 _Come on, you can pass out when you get back to Beacon. Get up._

Strength flowed back into Ruby's body Neo got off of her chest. _What did you do?_

 _I gave you some of my aura. You probably would have died if I hadn't._

Ruby got to her feet, wincing as her head spun. She took a minute to regain her bearings, eyes widening as she saw a flash of yellow flying up the narrow stairwell that wound around the cliff side. _They didn't wait for me?_

Neo shook her head. _You were only out for a few seconds, I got to you right away. They probably think you're ahead of them._

Ruby frowned. That was possible? More importantly, Neo had just done something nice for her? _Um, thank you?_

The smaller girl jumped onto her back, and she staggered under the added weight. _Why are you thanking me?_ _You don't have an excuse not to carry me, so take me back up the cliff._

 _Of course. What did I expect? Why do even have expectations anymore?_

A roar behind them signified that the Beowulf pack was right behind. Without a second thought, Ruby shot off towards the stairwell towards Beacon Cliff.

* * *

"Congratulations to team JNPR for completing the initiation process!"

Ruby tiredly applauded in the wings of the auditorium, watching as Pyrrha and Jaune happily took the praise from the general student body. Their initiation video had been particularly exciting; Ren and Nora had taken down a King Taijitu, and the group had dealt with a flock of Nevermores.

Yang leaned over to Ruby and whispered, "Wonder what they're going to think about our video."

They had just had enough time to run up to their room and change before the assembly had started. Blake and Yang had chatted happily the entire way, while Weiss was stewing and Ruby was silent.

Well, silent to them.

 _Wondering what Ozpin's going to do?_

 _Get out._

 _Oh, so after I save your life twice you're just going to start ignoring me?_

Ruby glared at Neo as she flickered at the entrance to the stage. _You're still standing behind me, aren't you._

Neo's hands were as freezing as always on the back of her neck. _You know it._

 _So how am I supposed to explain what that thing was to Ozpin or the fact that I was talking to myself?_

 _Don't worry about that, I assume that he shot all of your cameras down._

 _He?_

 _It's a person._

 _A person? The hooves?_

 _A very twisted person riding on decapitated Nuckelavee. Still a person._

 _So Ozpin won't see that._

 _No, but he'll_ _definitely_ _drag us into another one of those "therapy" sessions._

 _Oh, n- Wait, us?_

 _That's what I said._

Ruby shook her head. _Nope. There is no us. That's not a thing._

 _It so is a thing and you know it._

Their conversation was interrupted as applause erupted through the auditorium, and Ozpin spoke into his microphone. "I'd like to welcome these four on stage now. Blake Belladonna!"

Blake shot a quick smile backward as she walked on stage to thunderous applause.

"Yang Xiao Long!" "Weiss Schnee!"

Ruby sucked in a deep breath as she realized it was her turn.

"Ruby Rose!"

The audience applauded as Ruby walked on stage, but it was far less enthusiastic than it had been for any of her teammates. Instead, she could hear whispers filling the room as she took her place next to her teammates. Trying to block them out, she flipped her hood up and stared at the ground.

 _You already know what they're saying, don't you?_

 _Yes._

A hand reached out and squeezed hers, and Yang smiled at her as she looked up. "Come on, it'll be over in a second," she whispered. Ruby tapped her foot nervously as she looked out over the crowd, where every single person was looking at them.

Ozpin looked over each of them, then delivered his announcement.

"Congratulations your success in your delayed initiation! From here on out, you will be led by Weiss Schnee, and you will be known as Team WBYR, or Team Umber!"

Weiss stepped forwards. She was trying to put on a smug face, but her pride and happiness were evident as the room burst into applause.

"Once again, good job to all of our first-year students. All of you are dismissed for the remainder of the day."

As the crowd cheered, Weiss shot Ruby a look. When people started to leave the auditorium, Ruby ran out ahead of them and back to their room.

* * *

Weiss slammed the door shut behind her. "Ruby Rose!"

Ruby sighed as she flopped down onto her bed. She had already been in the room for a few minutes before her teammates had made it back from the team assignment assembly. "What?"

The Schnee heiress angrily shoved her sword into its usual position between her bed and the wall. "You know what! What on Remnant was that show you put on in the forest?"

Ruby felt her eyes starting to drift shut. She was too tired to think. She was too tired to listen. "What show?" she yawned, kicking her boots away from the foot of her bed.

Weiss stomped over and pulled her back up into a sitting position. "Oh, come on. We all watched the movie at the assembly. I saw everything single stupid thing you did in that exercise! Do I need to spell it out for you?"

She swatted Weiss' hand away. "I don't know, do you?"

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "The deathstalker. Jumping in front of a loaded dust attack. Collapsing, then getting back up again. Did you not listen to anything we said before the mission? The part about teamwork? The part about finding your partner?"

Neo sniffed in the back of Ruby's mind. She looked around but didn't see any trace of her antagonize. _If anyone's your partner, it's me. That prude little bitch can go and shove her toothpick of a sword up her a-_

 _Sto_ _o_ _oop…_ Ruby groaned. It was weird, but her connection with Neo made their lightning-fast mental exchanges feel like an actual conversation. _Just go away, I don't need you and Weiss on me right now._

 _Oh, I could give you more aura, I'm sure that would wake you up enough to listen._

 _No, I don't want to listen to Weiss! I want to sleep._

 _So I stay,_ Neo said smugly, and Ruby could just picture her kicking back in a chair as she kicked her heeled boots up onto a table.

 _Fine. But don't curse. And Weiss' sword is bigger than yours._

 _Ooh, is ickle Rose talking back now?_

 _Shut up._

"I can't believe you!" Weiss exclaimed. "You're not even listening to me!"

"Huh?"

Yang sauntered in between the teammates, holding out her hands and nodding. "Alriiight, ladies. How about we all calm down and get a good night's sleep, and we can talk about this in the morning?"

"M'kay," Ruby slurred as she crawled into bed. She was fast asleep before she even heard Weiss' retort.

* * *

Ruby stood at the edge of the sea.

"Why are we here?"

Neo's hair blew out behind her as she stared at the seething black waters in front of her. "I came here twice before, in the real world."

Ruby sat down, feeling oddly relieved to be awake yet asleep. There was a rock, smooth under the onslaught that would come with high tide, and she leaned back against it. "It's pretty."

"Thank you."

She watched Neo for a while. She didn't seem peaceful, but there was a certain calmness she had never seen in her before.

"I was six years old."

Neo turned to her, brown and pink eyes distant as the clouds drifting across the darkened sky. "My parents took me to the beach. I played in the surf with my dad and built sandcastles with my mom. We took a walk down the beach and chased after seagulls. They even let me get ice cream."

Staring at her surroundings, Ruby had a hard time finding that beach. There was no sand, only the scorched rocks like the one she leaned on. They bled into the ocean and the sky, setting the world in twilight. "Why am I here?"

"Don't you hate me, Rose?"

Suddenly, the rock felt hard against Ruby's back as the freezing tide rushed in to bite at her toes. Shivering, she wondered at how just yesterday she would have said yes readily. Now, all she could think about were the scars, and how Neo had saved her life. "No."

Neo turned away again, her shoulder shaking slightly. "I don't understand."

"Why not? Why do you want me to hate you?"

"Why did you kill Roman?"

"Because he had robbed a dust shop! He was a murderer! I didn't- I couldn't let him get away!" Ruby exclaimed as she jumped to her feet.

"He wasn't a murderer," Neo whispered coldly. The ocean began to seethe as she talked, the world flickering monochrome around them. "Every single death, every single disappearance, every single casualty they said was him was me. I killed every single one of them."

"You?" she echoed faintly.

"Me." Neo balled up her fists. "You don't understand. You don't understand anything about me. Roman wasn't like them. He was different. He cared about me. He listened to me. So, I did it for him. I _wanted_ to do it for him."

Ruby opened her mouth, then closed it.

"The second time I came here was with Roman. We played in the surf and built sandcastles. We walked down the beach and chased seagulls. He bought me ice cream. And now, I can't even grieve for him because you're in my head! Get out of my head! There's always someone in my head!" Neo shrieked.

Ruby didn't understand. She didn't know how to understand. "How could you do that? How could you kill people?"

"Because I loved him. And you will always be the person who took that away from me."

* * *

 _Neo?_

Silence.

 _Neo?_

Darkness.

Ruby gasped as someone shook her awake. Blinking, she saw her dad's cream-colored hair hanging down into her face. "Ruby! Ruby, come on honey, she's leaving in a couple minutes, we need to say goodbye."

 _Dad? What? Why am I at home?_

 _She._

 _No._

"What's going on?" Ruby mumbled sleepily in a much higher tone than usual.

 _No. No. No. I can't control it. I can't make it stop._

Taiyang shook his head as he picked Ruby up out of bed and carried her into the hall as a tiny Yang stumbled out of her bedroom. Ruby desperately tried to scream, to flail her arms, to do anything, but she was frozen inside her memories.

Ruby wanted to scream as she saw the figure at the bottom of the stairs.

Summer Rose was dressed and ready to go. Her hood shadowed her face, and she carried a heavy traveling pack which she put down as she saw them come down the stairs. A warm smile crossed her face, and Ruby screamed silently as she dropped her hood.

 _Neo, stop! Please, I don't, I can't, I-_

"I thought I told you not to go," Taiyang said sharply as he put Ruby down.

Her mother's voice was soft and musical. Ruby couldn't stand it. "You know we don't have a choice, Tai. She's too strong, if I don't, then-"

"It's suicide!" her dad yelled. Yang flinched away, and Ruby covered her face and whimpered as she turned away.

 _Neo, please, let me move, let me change things, I have to change things!_

"Tai, please, think about the girls." Her voice lowered, but Ruby could still hear her perfectly. "Raven and Qrow will both be with me, we'll be fine."

 _No, you won't! Dad, make her listen, do something._

"Let me come with you then," he said desperately.

Her mom's voice was breaking her heart. "Tai, you know I need you to be here for the girls. Otherwise, they-" Her voice cracked, and her dad pulled her into a deep hug and kiss.

"But what will I-" Her dad's voice was lost as Summer turned to Ruby and Yang.

 _I can't do this._

Her mom knelt down beside her, putting a hand on her and Yang's shoulders. "Ruby, Yang, I- I need you to know that I'm g-going to be away for a while. I just need you two to know that I l-love no matter what, and- and- I-" Unable to continue, her mom pulled them into a hug, then planted a kiss on each brow.

Ruby was sobbing.

"Summer, I- I love you," Taiyang whispered, defeated.

"I love you too, Tai."

 _Don't go._ _You can't go, you can't leave me alone again,_ _please._

"I'm sorry."

Ruby had never seen her mom again.

She slept the rest of the night away in darkness.

* * *

 _Ugh, you're pathetic. This is even worse than when you were in the hospital._

Ruby didn't acknowledge Neo as she stared blankly at the table in front of her.

"Alright, now that Ruby is _finally_ ready to listen to me," Weiss said pointedly, "I'm happy to commence the first official meeting of Team WBYR! Who's excited?"

Blake stared at Weiss. Yang stared at Ruby. Ruby stared at the ground.

"Oh, c'mon sis!" Yang said, lightly punching her in the arm. "We need you to be our enthusiasm! You should be all 'Go Team WBYR! I'm so excited! We're going to rock!"

Ruby twisted the ends of her cloak between her fingers. "Yay?"

"Nope. This is unacceptable." Yang got to her feet and strode out of the room.

"Yang! You can't leave, this is an official meeting!" Weiss protested.

Blake groaned and her bow twitched. "Why do we even have to have these meeting anyways?"

Weiss rolled her eyes and pushed against the table. "Well, if you had given me an opportunity to explain before Yang rudely-"

"Cookies!" Yang yelled as she bounded into the room and deposited a plate in front of Ruby.

"Riiight, so as I was-"

"Damn, I forgot the milk!"

Yang was gone again, and Weiss groaned and slammed her forehead against the table. "And I'm supposed to be the leader of this- Hey, Blake, who said you could read a book under the table?"

Blushing, Blake quickly threw the book under her bed.

A small smile crossed Ruby's face as Yang deposited a glass of milk in front of her. "Thanks, sis." No matter what, Ruby had never been able to deny a fresh chocolate chip cookie placed in front of her.

 _Ruby, stop ignoring me!_

She decided to ignore that.

"Alright, so if we're actually ready to start now, we will." The frosty edge to her voice left no question that they were. "Wonderful. First of all, we need to set up standards and ground rules."

Yang laughed as she kicked her feet up onto the table. "Yeesh, Weiss, what is this, the military?"

Weiss pouted as she pulled her fingers through her hair. "For your information, my time in the Atlas military was some of the finest combat training I have ever received, so I would ask that you treat it with more respect."

Their dorm room fell silent aside from Ruby quietly munching on her cookies. After an uncomfortable pause, Yang held up her hands and said, "Sorry, didn't realize you would take a joke so literally."

"What I was going to say is that the most important thing is teamwork." Weiss sniffed. "That means staying together during exercises, training together, and making sure all of us are performing to the top of their ability. Our team will not be anything less than excellent, _even_ if that means catching up on two years of combat and schooling."

Ruby flinched as Weiss locked her eyes on her. "I get it," she muttered, finishing the last of her cookie.

"Don't y-"

Weiss' head snapped around. "Yang, I get she's your sister, but that doesn't mean we can baby her. She went on her special little vigilante mission, and now she's in a real hunters academy. People die when we're not trained to do our job properly, and right now, she's two full years behind. She needs to catch up, or we're all in danger."

Yang looked like she wanted to argue, but just kicked the table and pushed her feet back under the table.

"Alright, so every day we're going to study for an hour right after school, then do combat training for an hour, then eat dinner. After dinner, we study for another hour, then we have free time until bed. On weekends, we'll do combat for two hours and study for three."

Ruby was momentarily snapped out of her funk, and she stared at Weiss. "Five hours on weekends?"

Yang stood up abruptly, knocking her chair backward. Panicking for a second, she caught the chair, then glared at the team leader. "You're insane. There's no way that we need to do all of that extra work."

"You're wrong." Weiss pulled a notebook overflowing with loose sheets of paper and let it drop onto the table. "My father had me research the most effective studying techniques, and routine and dedicated blocks of time are some of the most important aspects to succeeding. Also, if we want to get fit, we need to do endurance training, aura training, weapons training, and tactical training _every single day._ "

Blake sighed. "She's right, I've read about that before."

Ruby went back to staring at the table. _I'm going to die. There's no way around it. I will not be able to do that much work._

Yang was looking at the notebook incredulously. "How the hell did you do all of that last night?"

"Don't be silly, I've had this since I got to Beacon," Weiss said, her scowl turning into a small smile as she flipped through the pages of the notebook.

Blake cocked her head. "Why?"

"Isn't obvious?"

"No," Yang deadpanned.

Weiss' eyes flashed as she sat up straighter in her seat. "I am Weiss Schnee, the sole heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, one of the most valuable companies in the world. I have been preparing for _years_ to start assuming a leadership role at this school thanks to the services my generous father provided me."

Dead silence.

"I mean, can any of you imagine one of you doing this? Blake, you're nice, but you're way to quiet to be an effective leader. Yang, you're strong, but your temper would ruin any sort of teamwork you could produce. Ruby, you don't work well on teams. You would probably find some cavern of White Fang and Grimm alone in the middle of an abandoned city and die in an explosion. Seriously, who would be insane enough to put any of you in charge of other students?"

Ruby pushed her feelings of resentment back down under another wave of depression. If she was being honest with herself, Weiss was probably right.

Blake seemed to be thinking the same thing, and she hesitantly said, "I guess you're right."

Yang stewed in silence, grinding her heel into the wood floor.

"Thank you. Anyways, we start tomorrow. I hope everyone is ready because if I have anything to say about it, Team WBYR will be the most respected and powerful team to ever graduate from this school!"

"Assuming we don't die first."

"Yang!"

Ruby watched the notebook sitting on the table in front of her. She had a sinking feeling that she would come to hate it before long.

* * *

"So."

Ruby glared at Ozpin, slouching down in her chair as the headmaster loomed over her from behind her desk. _I hate him so much. I hate him for this, I hate him for Weiss._

 _I could kill him._

 _No._

 _You're no fun._

 _Define fun._

 _At least you're talking to me again._ Was that relief? _Now I can keep torturing you._ Nope, it was pure unadulterated joy in her suffering.

"You mean to tell me that you have _no idea_ how every single camera following you shattered at the exact same time, leaving us unaware of your location for twenty minutes?" The headmaster's eyes were dangerously narrowed, and he was taking more shots of coffee than Ruby had ever seen anyone consume.

 _How can he do that? I bounce off the walls if I even come close to a can of soda._

 _Probably addicted, he wouldn't be the first one I've seen,_ Neo shrugged. _Or maybe he's immortal, I don't know._

Ruby shook her head. "Nope, I was searching for my lovely partner when I head Yang and Blake. I had already found the pieces, so I figured I would just take them and find everyone else. I didn't even know there were cameras."

"I see." His voice was curt, but his expression softened slightly as he looked down at her. "Well, know that Professor Goodwitch and I are relieved that you returned from the forest safely. Also, I would like to add that your handling of the Deathstalker was quite impressive. However, there is one thing I believe we must discuss now."

 _Oh boy. Aren't we just trembling in excitement over here?_

 _You're not any better than he is._

 _You hurt me, Rose._

"What is it, Headmaster?" Ruby asked, trying to sound innocent, whatever that even meant anymore.

"We believe you are in possession of a double semblance."

Ruby gaped at him. Neo was silent for a moment, then burst out laughing. _This could get interesting. I can't believe he came up with something like that. This could work in our favor._

"That's a thing?" Ruby asked, surprised.

Ozpin nodded. "It's a very rare phenomenon, of course. You seem to have been blessed, though. Miraculous, really, how talented you are."

It was all Ruby could do to stop herself from lashing out at the man. _I'm not your pet project!_ Instead, she gritted her teeth and said, "Thank you, how does it work?"

"Well, I think you have the ability to recharge your aura when you reach a certain point of exhaustion," he said thoughtfully.

 _Oh yes, and it's name is Neopolitan and it would appreciate free ice cream._

 _Your full name is Neopolitan?_

 _I think so._

 _What do you mean, I think so?_

 _You were in the middle of a conversation?_

Ruby gave him her best grin, which she supposed probably looked more like a grimace. "Cool."

Ozpin nodded. "Well, I'm sure that you are exhausted right now, so why don't you go back to Team WBYR and get some sleep? We can work on figuring out more about that power later. If you have any memory of anything that happened while those cameras were out, please tell us. You are dismissed, Miss Rose."

"Thank you."

Ozpin chuckled as she walked towards the elevator. "Don't thank me, if anything that I've heard about Miss Schnee is true, the hard part of school is just about to start."

* * *

 **[A/N] I don't think you fully appreciate just how long it took me to find a color that started with a U or a W and ended in some combination of BYR. I get that Umber is a bit of a stretch, with a W for the U and M (just flip it, okay?), but it's literally the best I could do.(It's a brown-yellow color slightly darker than Ochre)**

 **Anyways, this chapter is a week late because I mixed up my calendar, but I'm definitely sticking to Saturday updates.**

 **Thank you guys so much for 100+ follows! It's astounding how quickly we got here to me, considering my other long story took 34 chapters to get there. Thank you guys so much for all of your support, and to everyone who reviewed this story. You really help make writing enjoyable and keep me passionate about my stories.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 10/7/17**


	6. V1 - Rumors

Chapter Six: Rumors

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 10/7/17

* * *

Ruby woke up screaming into a cloying gloved hand.

 _Oh, I wouldn't struggle if I was you,_ Neo said gleefully as she held her sword closer to her throat. The smaller girl pinned her to her bed, straddling her as she clamped Ruby's hips with her legs. _We wouldn't want to wake_ darling _Weiss up from her beauty sleep._

"What the hell?" was what Ruby tried to say, gagging as she got a mouthful of white and grey leather.

 _What happened to 'Yaaaang, don't curse!' Is sweet little-_

 _That was before I had a girl trying to murder me in my head!_ Ruby exclaimed, heat rising through her as she shook Neo. _Get off of me!_

 _But-_

Using her semblance, Ruby twisted her hips and rolled over. It took her a moment to realize how close to the edge of her bed she had been sleeping. They tumbled through the thin air in a tangled mess, Neo shrieking a string of explicative as Ruby's bed swung wildly and they hit the floor with a thud.

 _Ow…_

"What on earth-"

 _Roll. Now._

Ruby threw herself and Neo out of the way as Weiss stomped out of bed and flicked the light switch on. _What now? What do I say to her?_

 _Nothing. Be silent, she thinks you're sleeping._

Ruby caught her breath and quickly looked away from Weiss. Instead, she found herself staring up at Neo's face. Her multicolored eyes were so striking, iridescent pink and layered brown.

"Weiss?" Blake asked from above. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"So you heard it too?" Weiss said. "It wasn't me, and Ruby and Yang are both still out like rocks."

"They really are siblings, huh?"

"It is rather hard to tell sometimes, isn't it?" Weiss emitted something between a sniff and a laugh.

 _Rose._

 _Yeah?_

 _You're staring._

Ruby blinked. She had been staring, but it was hard not to given how close she was to Neo. She had no idea how warm it was being so close to-

 _Please, spare me the thought._

Ruby frowned as a rush of emotion swirled through her head, swelling up inside of her breast and threatening to break free. They felt controlled, as if- _Stop._

 _You aren't angry at me?_ Neo's voice sounded genuinely surprised as Ruby felt the knot of tension dissipate. How had she felt that? Regret. Had Neo not wanted her to know she was thinking that?

"Weiss, I'm going to go back to bed. I'm sure it was nothing, or maybe it was Team JNPR. Can you turn the light off now?"

Weiss sighed. "Yes, I suppose we both need to get a good night's sleep. Good night, Blake."

 _No,_ Ruby whispered, shivering. She couldn't bring herself to hate Neo, so what was she feeling? Why couldn't she hate her for all of the awful things the girl had done?

 _Just so you know, I was staring at you too,_ Neo said quietly as she got up slowly, leaving Ruby paralyzed on the floor. She looked torn for a moment; Ruby could feel the indecision coming off of her in waves. Finally, Neo's smirk returned, and the moment was gone. _C'mon, are you just going to lie there all night?_

Ruby carefully got to her feet, releasing the breath she had been holding. _Um, we were- Oh, right – What the hell was that?_

 _Simple. You don't have time to sleep tonight, we have way to_ _o_ _much stuff to do._ _Follow me._

Ruby narrowed her eyes. _And what if I want to sleep?_

 _Do you actually think I'll let you?_

 _I- You- Fine._ Neo and Ruby tiptoed out of the room and into the hallway. _What could possibly be so important that I had to get out of bed_ _in the middle of the night?_

 _Well, first of all, you're going to cook for me,_ Neo said smugly as she marched into the kitchen and kicked her boots up on the first counter she got to.

 _What? No! Wha-_

Neo shrugged at her. _Well, I have been sleeping on the couch in the commons without a change of clothing for a few weeks now, and I've been eating all of the leftovers nobody cared about. It would be nice to eat something hot for a change._

Ruby pulled a face. _No new clothes for two weeks? That's so gross! You could-_

 _Do you have enough money to buy me a new designer leather combat suit?_

 _No, but-_

 _Ruby, I am not going to wear your clothing. Not even your combat outfit. Unlike you, I actually made it out of my angst phase._

 _But Jeff Williams-_

 _Calm down. I shower and wash it all the time, relax._

Ruby scrunched her face up as she thought about it. _But what do you wear when it's in the wash?_

Neo laughed. _I can make myself invisible, or just give myself illusory clothes. Do you actually think I care about running around Beacon naked?_

Ruby didn't know how she felt about that.

 _Make me food already, I'm hungry! You can't lie to me, I know how much you enjoy it._

Neo wasn't wrong. Dad was usually too lazy to make dinner, and Yang couldn't be bothered, so it usually fell to Ruby to feed the family. It was a lot like building a weapon, really: lots of exact measurements and components. Still, Ruby didn't really want to admit Neo was right.

 _See?_

 _Fine._

Ruby shot into action, activating her semblance as she sped around the kitchen. Opening the cupboards, she saw nothing but a massive tub of pancake mix with a sign that read "Mine! -Nora." Shrugging, she pulled out two cups and put it next to the rest of the ingredients. It took only a few seconds to have the batter ready and the first batch on the grill before it had even gotten warm.

 _Okay, now what?_

 _I don't know, what do you when you wait?_ Neo asked lazily.

Ruby smiled nervously, eyes flicking between the griddle and the girl. _Um,_ _yeah… I don't really do the waiting thing…_

 _Of course you don't._

They were silent for a moment. Ruby began pacing nervously, checking the pancakes every couple of seconds. "Um, Neo, while-"

 _Stop talking out loud, do you want JNPR to wake up?_

 _Right, um. Well, I guess…_

 _Spit it out,_ Neo groaned as she sank deeper into the comfy couch.

Ruby frowned. _I was just wondering since you know so much about everything, do you know why you're in my head like this? I know nobody else sees you, so…_

The other girl didn't answer. The pancakes slowly began to bubble, and Ruby flipped them as fast as she could, waiting for the answer.

 _Really? You're not going to tell me?_

Suddenly, Neo laughed, an empty noise that reverberated through her head. _Honestly, Rose, I don't deserve you._

 _But what's that supposed to mean?_ Ruby was lost, although it felt like she was always lost since Roman's death.

 _Ask me anything. Literally anything. Just not that._

Ruby scowled at Neo, tapping impatiently on the marble counter. _Fine. Tell me everything you know about that weird Grimm in the woods._

Neo sighed and got up, sashaying across the kitchen. She sat at the table and stared down at an empty plate in front of her. _It's not a Grimm, it's a human. His name was Harkan._

 _Was?_

 _He's not a human as he used to be,_ Neo said darkly.

The pancakes finally finished, and Ruby broke the deepening tension as she burst into action, her line of questioning momentarily forgotten. She had a full plate in front of Neo and herself in seconds, complete with whipped cream and syrup. _There._

Neo stared down at the plate in front of her.

 _Um, Neo? Is something wrong?_

Her eyes glowed pure white with something Ruby couldn't read as she looked up from the meal. _You… actually made me pancakes._

 _Well, yeah, of course I did._ Ruby said as her pitch rose slightly. _I mean, you kinda woke me up in the middle of the night with a sword to my throat and forced me to, so I don't re-_

 _Thank you._

 _Huh?_

Neo smiled slightly at her, then got up and opened the refrigerator. Pulling out a carton of strawberries, she sprinkled a few on her dish before beginning to eat. _You should probably eat, you need the energy._

 _Right…_ Ruby grabbed her fork and dug it into the fluffy cake, dolling whipped cream. She sighed happily as she blew her way through her pile of sugar and carbs.

 _I can see why Nora likes them so much,_ Neo said thoughtfully, eating just as fast as Ruby.

 _You talk about them like you know them, but they don't even know you exist._

 _Not like they think about you any more than me._

Ruby flinched. Neo was right, of course. It wasn't like anyone else at Beacon cared about her except Yang and maybe Pyrrha. Why should they? Her euphoric feelings sinking down, she looked away from the other girl. Two dirty dishes encrusted with syrup and crumbs sat heavy on the counter, shining slightly in the moonlight.

 _Get up._

She looked up at Neo, who was holding out Crescent Rose towards her. Her white eyes were gone, and her glare was steely. Snatching her weapon away, Ruby got up to face down the darkened hallway, leaving Neo at her back.

 _What are you waiting for?_

She bowed her head, letting the light shine past her as her short hair drifted shadows along the corridor. _I watched a movie once, where there was this awesome warrior girl who found this magical device. It made her have this weird mental connection with this guy, and they could talk and everything. They had some cool battles, and then also some gross mushy stuff Yang and I thought was boring but Dad really liked. Is that like what we have?_

Neo swept past her, pulling her sword out behind her. _Well, I'm not a guy, am I?_

Beacon was dark after hours. Ruby was tense as they walked past looming paintings and closed doors as Neo stalked ahead of her. Before long, they were slipping out the massive double doors and into the formal gardens.

Ruby had almost spaced out when Neo spun around and pointed the tip of her sword to her throat. _Dead._

She jumped back in surprise, unleashing Crescent Rose. Her beloved blade was coated in blood again, and she could tell her combat outfit hadn't really gotten clean in the wash. No time for her to think about that, though. She clutched her grip, ready to spring into action when-

Neo reached into a nearby bush and pulled out a pile of stuff. _Put your pig-sticker away._

 _Don't call Crescent Rose that!_ Ruby exclaimed angrily, pulling it back into sniper mode before blowing a shot past her head.

Neo smirked as she flickered around her, making Ruby spin around wildly. _Oh dear, the fifteen-year-old with the full combat assault rifle and scythe, how scary. You're so easy to kill, Rose._

Ruby inhaled sharply as she felt the cold kiss of metal at her throat.

 _Dead._

 _Why are we out here?_

Neo pulled away and threw something from the pile at her. Ruby caught it, then staggered under the weight as she did. _Twenty-five pounds of books, full trail and camping gear, and ammo. Put it on._

 _Why?_

Neo's smirk deepened. _Do you like sleeping? Do you like nightmares?_

Ruby didn't hesitate to put the pack on. She winced as the straps dug into her shoulders. _It's so heavy!_

 _Perfect. Now, run._

 _For how long._

 _Until I tell you to stop._

She stared at Neo until she started to flicker threateningly. Taking a deep breath, Ruby braced herself then took off flying around the school.

The scenery flew by as she sprinted as fast as she could go, Neo's illusion floating along next to her. Her pack grew heavier and heavier as she passed the entrance one, two, five, eight times. By the ninth, her legs and back ached so badly that she forced herself to slow down, her aura severely depleted as she took deep heaving breaths. Sweat covered her forehead as her vision blurred.

 _I didn't say you could stop._

 _I ca-_

Blinding pain shot through Ruby's back, and she screamed as she fell to the ground. Neo stood over her as she curled up, an illusion with a blood-soaked sword disappearing. _Did you forget that my illusions can still hurt you?_

Ruby curled up, shaking her head.

Neo growled and kicked her before kneeling down and putting her hands on her chest. Red, black, and white swirled around them as aura rushed through her body. _You did nine laps that time. Do it again._

Ruby staggered to her feet, picking up Crescent Rose. _I don't understand. Why are you doing this?_

 _Your endurance is shit. Your aura levels are shit. You get into any high stakes situation, you're going to die. We're going to do this every single night until you start improving. Do you need me to hurt you more to understand?_

Squeezing her eyes shut, she took off running again.

Neo refilled Ruby's aura two more times that night, and struck her once more. By the end, Ruby was so tired that she could barely stand. Her entire body ached, and all she could do as she staggered back into her room, supported by Neo, was clamber into bed and close her eyes.

All she could dream of was her bleeding back.

* * *

Drip.

Someone sat down at the other end of the table. Maybe it was Neo. Ruby didn't care.

Drip.

Her milk made interesting circles when it fell into her Cookie Crunch. That was nice.

Drip.

"...what we have here!"

Ruby blinked sleepily as she felt a set of eyes on her back. She moved her spoon around in her bowl, letting her head droop lower over her untouched breakfast.

 _My back hurts…_

"Hey, she's not even listening to us!"

A fist slammed down on the table next to Ruby. She stared at it blankly, then turned slightly to look at the person it belonged to. "What?"

A boy above her jeered down. His name was Cardin, or Cory, or something – she vaguely remembered his initiation video. Ruby found herself staring at his breastplate, which had a bird emblem printed on it. He had to be at least a head and a half taller than her. "So you're the one everyone is talking about," he jeered, the rest of his team snickering as they stood around her.

"'Bout what?" she mumbled, wanting to go back to sitting alone in the corner.

Cardin snorted. "Oh, please, don't play that humble game with me, that's bullshit."

 _Neo, they're being annoying, make them go away._

 _Wha…_ Neo said, only half awake.

 _Fine, I guess I'll just do it myself._ Ruby slowly turned herself around and took a couple sips from the coffee she had poured herself. "What do you want?"

"To see if the rumors are true, of course!" he said, spreading his arms wide. "Ruby Rose, who killed Roman Torchwick with a single blow, youngest entrant to Beacon Academy in a century, took down a deathstalker solo and made it look easy!"

Ruby shrugged. "I guess." She turned around and went back to her cereal.

Drip.

"Oh, so now you're just going to ignore me?"

"Go away."

Drip.

"Now, why would I do that?" Cardin asked.

Ruby glared into her soup, that awful angry feeling that wouldn't go away rising up once again. Why couldn't she just disappear, vanish to someplace alone where she could just work on her weapons all day?

A heavy gauntlet landed on her shoulder.

In an instant, Ruby sprang to her feet and unleashed Crescent Rose. Swinging her blade around, she knocked Cardin and two of his teammates back into the wall. "I said, go away!" she yelled, wincing as her back twinged in pain.

The cafeteria fell silent.

Cardin slowly got up from where he had fallen, staring at her in fear. "Your blade, it's covered in blood… You fucking psycho Black Rose bitch, you deserve that nickname! Come on, let's get out of here!"

Ruby knew how he saw her. He saw the bloodstained cloak and scythe. She didn't care.

She didn't care about the whispers. She didn't care that she was sitting down alone. She didn't care that when she glanced at the girl with rabbit ears sitting at the other end of the table, she scampered away in fright.

She was too tired to care about any of that. Besides, what was the point in arguing about something she already knew?

* * *

The suds were turning black, slowly.

Ruby zeroed in on the task she had at hand, scrubbing back and forth repeatedly. Wasn't Crescent Rose beautiful? She loved how she had made it, how effortless it was to pull it apart and put it back together. It sure made cleaning it easier, didn't it?

She had Grimm blood under her fingernails. Yang wouldn't like that, she hated it when she or Ruby got really dirty.

 _Rose, you're killing me right now._

As far as Ruby could tell, Neo was actually there, perched on the far end of the weapons bench she was working at. _Huh?_

Neo's eyelid twitched, and she was digging her fingernails into her palm. _You have been cleaning Crescent's blade for twenty minutes._

 _You woke me up at two in the morning to run around Beacon twenty-six times at max speed._

Neo groaned, lying down on the table. She contemplated her boot as she stuck it into the air, holding it up against the light. _You're no fun today._

 _Who's fault is that?_

 _Hold up, we've got company._

Ruby's head shot up to see a boy with straw-colored hair tiptoeing across the weapons workshop. She probably knew his name; if that was true, she couldn't remember it.

The boy, who had been carefully watching her, shrieked slightly before composing himself. "Heh, I- um, I really only needed to grab this one thing, and then I'll leave, I swear! Don't hurt me!"

Ruby frowned as he flew towards the tool chests in a panic. Hadn't Neo said something about him? Oh, now she remembered: he was the one she had wanted to kill. "Aren't you the one that faked his transcripts?"

He turned, blinked at her, then collapsed into a dead faint.

Ruby yawned. She was having too much trouble trying to keep her eyes open, but she had to clean off Crescent Rose.

Neo laughed so hard she rolled off of the table and fell onto the floor. _You know what? I take it back. There's never a dull moment around you, is there?_

Jaune. Ruby remembered his name now. That was a name. Names were nice. Cookies were also nice. When was lunch?

"Mommy?" Jaune muttered as he slowly blinked his eyes open. "Wait, why am I on the floor?"

Neo howled as she held her hands to her stomach, nearly crying in mirth.

"You fainted," Ruby said, hitting a particularly dirty patch of the blade. Activating her semblance, she scrubbed it harder as the accumulated layers of blood and grime slowly came off.

Jaune sighed happily. "Okay, so that explains all of the birds… Wait a second, did you-"

She stared down tiredly at him, struggling to keep her eyes open. "Um, you're a little bit too close to me right now..."

"How did you know that?" Jaune hissed, his face betraying his panic and fear.

Ruby shrugged.

"Oh, no." Jaune wildly looked around. "If you know, everyone else must know too. I'll have to leave Beacon! Please, don't tell anyone else! I'll do anything!"

Crescent Rose seemed to be clean, but she had to stand up if she was going to reassemble her. "I need to get up."

Jaune sprang away from her. "Yes, of course! Was that a yes or a no? That wasn't a no, right? I mean, getting up _could_ be a bad thing, so..." He trailed off as he watched Ruby. "Oh… Black Rose… That's why…"

Ruby activated her semblance as she reassembled her scythe, swinging it around as she finished. Ignoring her aching body, she launched into a training sequence – she never finished working on her weapons without using them first. Spiraling around, she ducked and weaved around, making sure every component still worked perfectly.

Meanwhile, Jaune was groveling at her feet. "Please, don't kill me; I mean, I understand if you do kill me, but I would really appreciate it if you didn't. It would be nice to get to wear my bunny slippers again, ya know? I really-"

 _Finally done._ Ruby sheathed her weapon and walked out of the weapons lab. She had an hour of free time left, and she was going to die if she didn't get some sleep. She paused at the threshold. She was forgetting something, wasn't she? Oh, that was right; she hadn't said goodbye to Jaune! "Bye, Jaune." Clicking Crescent Rose to her belt, she left the boy behind on the floor.

Jaune stared at the ground in confusion. "Oh, um, bye Ruby?" He fell back onto his knees. "Was that a yes? She had to have meant yes with that whole walking away and ignoring me thing, right?"

 _Never a dull moment around here,_ Neo said as her laughs slowly died down, and she wiped a tear away as she left the room after Ruby. _Never a dull moment._

* * *

Ruby sighed, leaning against her elbow as she skimmed over the textbook in front of her. _I want to die. Can I die now? I probably should have at least twice in the last month._

 _If I have to suffer through this, so do you,_ Neo grumbled as she quietly played with Ruby's scroll in her bed.

"Alright, so what do we know about the 1712 Vacuo Grimm Uprising?" Weiss asked as she flipped to the next page in the textbook.

Team WBYR was sitting around a low coffee table Yang had dragged into the room. A mess of notebooks and textbooks was spread across the surface; they were halfway through the first of Weiss' marathon study sessions.

"Let me guess!" Yang exclaimed. "First, a bunch of Grimm went and attacked humans, then we killed them. Let's move on!" She banged her gauntlets together and grinned at Blake. "I'm ready to do some combat training."

Blake rolled her eyes as Weiss glared at her. "For your information, this rebellion is a major piece of Remnant history and will most certainly be on our first test in History. That was an oversimplification of a complex series of events."

"Oh really, I never could have guessed," Yang said, biting back a laugh. Blake covered her mouth and looked away.

 _Ha, I just beat level thirty-three of Atlas Attack Three!_ Neo exclaimed.

 _Hey, I just bought that game, don't play it!_

 _Too bad, you've got to study now._

"Yang," Weiss' voice was rising dangerously high.

Ruby's sister sighed. "Fine, whatever you say, ice queen." Weiss blushed, but Yang ignored it and faced Blake. "So, Blake, what do we know about this Grimm thingy?"

"You're asking me?"

"Duh, you two actually study and all that," Yang said with a grin.

"Actually," Weiss said pointedly, "I was going to ask Ruby."

Ruby woke herself up as she heard her name. "Huh? I'm awake!"

"Right..." Weiss sighed. "So, care to tell us about the Grimm Uprising?"

"Uh..." Activating her semblance, Ruby skimmed the pages as fast as she possibly could. "There was this human, and he led the Grimm into Vacuo… and, he was controlling them somehow?"

"You could actually pay attention next time instead of reading it when I ask," Weiss snapped.

Ruby's head had already dropped back down to her elbow.

Yang shook her shoulder. "Yeesh, Ruby, why are you so tired today?"

 _Me._

 _You don't have to sound so proud about it._ "I had a bit of trouble sleeping last night."

"Well, that's no excuse. Get up, we have another hour of studying!" Weiss' tone was a bit too harsh, and Ruby flinched back.

"Hey, lay off of her!" Yang exclaimed, standing up. "This whole thing is ridiculous anyway. Why are we even doing this? I'll bet none of us have ever studied for more than an hour straight in our lives!"

"I have, and I'm the team leader, so I'm responsible for making us the top of our class!" Weiss yelled, standing up as well.

"Well, just because you're team leader doesn't mean you get to order us around," Yang said firmly. "Besides, who cares if we're top of the class? We're here to kill Grimm, kick butt, and not die."

Blake spoke up quietly. "Yang does have a point."

Weiss gritted her teeth as she ground her heel into the floor. "So now you're teaming up against me? You do realize that if we don't do this, Ruby will fail, and then I-"

"Leave Ruby out of this."

"This is stupid," Ruby muttered, playing with the corner of her textbook. "Nobody wants to study this much. It's Saturday. I wanna sleep."

"What did you say?" Weiss yelled, clenching her fists.

"Weiss, drop it," Blake said softly.

Yang had no such reservations, her battle aura rising around her. "Why do you even care? I told you to leave her alone."

"Well, maybe I don't have a choice!" Weiss exploded. "Maybe it actually matters how well I do here, did you consider that? You are my responsibility, and I won't screw everything up."

Yang growled. "Nobody is in charge of me but me. Ever."

Ruby saw that her sister was about to explode, and she got out of her chair and grabbed her arm. "Yang, please, it's not worth it!"

She whipped around angrily to glare at her, then deflated when she saw Ruby's pleading expression. She sighed, then pulled Ruby into a hug. "Yeah, you're right."

"You know what?" Weiss strode across the room and grabbed Myrtenaster. "I don't care. If you want to fail, we'll all suffer for it."

The door slammed shut behind her.

Blake stared at the door. "That just happened."

"I'm going to sleep," Ruby said with a yawn. _It's finally over._

Neo looked at her as she clambered into her bed. _Um, are you just going to push me into the wall, or are you going to let me get out first?_

 _Too tired. Don't care. Sleep now._

* * *

 _Okay, this is weird, what's happening?_ Ruby asked in bewilderment.

 _You fell asleep, so I'm following Ice Queen._ _Watch this._

Weiss was huddled in a corner of the library, sobbing into her sleeve. Neo stood next to her invisible, looking down at her with something akin to pity.

Ruby watched her in amazement. _I don't get it. Why is she crying?_

"Miss Schnee?"

Weiss stiffened, and she looked away. "Hi Professor Port," she said.

The large man considered her for a moment, then leaned against a nearby bookshelf. "Dear girl, you have been crying. Please, I am an expert on these matters. Confess to me your strife!"

Weiss shook her head as she sniffed. "I'm not crying."

Port hummed as he watched her. "It is quite normal to cry, there is no need to be ashamed. Would you like to tell me about it?"

"My team won't listen to me!" she exclaimed, glaring up at him. "I'm trying to help us be the best, and they're ruining it all. I don't get it."

He hummed thoughtfully. "Well, Miss Schnee, might I tell you that the school received a letter from your father expressing his gratitude and his hopes for you?"

Weiss inhaled sharply, and Ruby frowned. _Her father?_

 _The president of the Schnee Dust Company? One of the richest people in the world?_

 _Oh._

"My father has been wonderful in his support of my education and my ambitions," she said tightly.

"Oh, but he isn't here, is he?" Professor Port said, twirling his mustache.

Weiss stared at the floor.

"You have been selected as a leader, dear," Port said kindly. "It is up to you to determine what that means, not your father. At this school, you have the freedom to do much of what you please. Although you have good intentions, you are taking that away from them. Is it truly surprising that they would react like they are?"

"But a good leader needs to have obedience," she protested.

Professor Port shook his head. "No. That may be what your father teaches, but that's not our lesson. All good leaders have the trust of their team. Once the team trusts the leader, they will obey them to the grave. Do you understand?"

Weiss got to her feet, wiping her eyes as she stared past Port. "I have to think about this." She swept out of the library, leaving the professor and Neo in her wake.

 _Good night, Rose._

 _Good night, Neo._

Slowly, Ruby's vision through Neo faded to black as she fell into true sleep, lost in thought.

 _Could I ever follow Weiss like that?_

* * *

 **[A/N] Right now, Ruby has a lot more questions than answers, but things are starting to change… Also, thanks to Neo, Ruby knows some things that she really shouldn't. Her scene with Jaune was a ton of fun to write, and Weiss' first moment of character development plays out differently than canon.**

 **Thank you as always to everyone for reading and reviewing, y'all are incredible. I appreciate all of your comments about the silly naming conventions ;) We're on time this week, and ready to go for the 21st!**

 **Allie, signing out**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 10/21/17**


	7. V1 - Fracture

Chapter Seven: Fracture

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 10/21/17

* * *

"Remember, if you wish to properly meditate, you must clear your mind of all distractions."

Ruby winced and buried her head in her hands as another vision of Roman dying seared its way across her mind. Neo tightened her mental grip even further. _Don't you dare, Rose._

She didn't understand. She didn't understand why she had to be so tired. She didn't understand why Neo wouldn't just replenish her aura to get her out of the awful sessions. She didn't understand how Neo could replenish her aura in the first place. "I can't, Professor! Do we have to do this?"

"If you ever want to understand your powers, this will be the only way..."

* * *

Before Beacon, Ruby had never imagined her shadows could be so deep.

The room darkened ominously as Weiss stormed over towards her. Towering piles of textbooks had her trapped, and she couldn't get up from her seat. Panicking, she tossed her scroll away and sat upright. "Queen Schnee, please, I-"

Weiss loomed over her, scowling her further down into her seat. "Silence! How many times have I decreed you shall not eat cookies when we study?"

Ruby squeaked and quickly wiped crumbs away from her mouth. "What? No, I would never do something like that!"

Yang burst in as the Weiss was preparing to strike Ruby. "Stay away from my sister, Ice Queen!"

Weiss laughed evilly as she adjusted her crown and lifted Myrtenaster. "Nobody interrupts my sixteen-hour study sessions!" A cloud of dust burst from the end of her sword, and Yang turned to solid ice.

"Yang! Nooooo!"

The Ice Queen spun around on her heel to point Myrtenaster at Ruby's nose. "This is your punishment, Ruby. I'm the team leader, and you're a bratty little fifteen-year-old. I might as well kill you so you don't have the chance to kill yourself."

Ruby flinched back. "I won't let you win! Why are you doing this to me?"

The world around her flickered as her veins turned to ice.

 _This is a dream. I'm dreaming again._

Roman Torchwick sneered at her as she stared down the barrel of his cane. She stood frozen at the edge of an abyss, unable to run, to move. She wanted to clench her throat in anticipation of what was about to come, but she couldn't. She couldn't move. She couldn't do anything.

"Well, Red, maybe you should've thought that through before you killed me," he said, then pulled the trigger.

Ruby shot straight up in bed as a wave of pain washed over her body. She doubled over, head pounding as her entire body burned, or at least felt like it. Biting back a scream, she dug her fingernails into her palm as hard as she could, trying desperately to focus on that until the phantom burning started to recede.

The room was dark. The small clock by Weiss' bedside read 3:30 am.

Ruby flopped back on her bed in despair. _I can't live_ _like this._

She needed to take a shower. She needed to eat. She needed to sleep.

All she could think about was Torchwick's mangled body.

Her fingers trembled as she picked up Crescent Rose for the second time that night, the effects of barely any sleep in the past two weeks and Neo's grueling physical training regiment slamming into her harder than a Boarbatusk. Slipping out the doorway, she tiptoed past where she knew Neo was sleeping and into Beacon's corridors.

The training arena was dark as Ruby walked inside and placed her scroll on the giant screen. Lights blinked on and illuminated the stands, ringing her in the harsh glare. _"Greetings Ruby Rose. How may I assist you?"_

"Free training."

The screen beeped, and Ruby's aura monitor and a live video feed popped onto the screen. " _Good luck, Miss Rose."_

Ruby sighed as she stared up at her aura meter. She was reluctant to admit it, but she had more aura now at eighty percent than she had at full before Beacon. _Neo may be killing me, but she's definitely making me stronger. I just want to know why!_

Crescent Rose effortlessly slid into her scythe mode, and Ruby brought the blade in front of her sliding her feet out slightly and taking a deep breath.

Side slash. Right cross. Spin into a left cross. Anchor the tip and kick out. Cut down. Roll into a low sweep. Fake left into a right spin. Side slash. Fake right into a left spin. Side slash. Fake right cross into ram forwards. Cut down. Fire.

Ruby ran through each move slowly, keeping her stance perfect and ignoring her screaming body. Whatever Neo was doing to her, it was working. She felt stronger physically for all it was destroying her mind – maybe she had just been weak in the first place.

As she finished the exercise for the fifth time, she looked up to the computer. "Set tempo."

 _"Tempo set."_

"Double tempo."

 _"Tempo doubled."_

Ruby gripped her scythe tighter as a metallic beeping filled the ring. _Now._

Each swing came faster and harder than before now. Ruby winced every time she hit the ground but forced herself to keep going. Sweat dripped into her eyes, and she blinked furiously to keep it out.

 _I'm not supposed to work myself like this. I ran five sets of twelve laps around Beacon and already did combat t_ _raining with Neo tonight. Why am I doing this? Why can't I do anything?_

 _If I stop and sit down, I may never stand up again._

"Double tempo."

 _"Tempo doubled."_

Ruby pushed herself to the limits of her physical ability as she spun and ducked without using her semblance. The aching feeling in her body got worse and worse as she hit her fifth rep.

 _I can't keep going like this._

"Double tempo."

 _"_ _Tempo doubled."_

Ruby relaxed slightly as she slipped into the lower ranges of her semblance. Now fighting at eight times her normal speed, she focused again on footwork and technique as the world blurred around her. Now she did ten reps, hitting the ground over and over again as she sliced her way through her imaginary enemy.

" _Ruby Rose, your aura levels have reached seventy percent."_

"Double tempo."

 _"Tempo doubled."_

"Ruby? What are you doing here? It's four o'clock in the morning!"

Was that Blake? She didn't turn to find out as she took on the exercise at blistering speeds. Crescent Rose blurred around her as she pushed herself farther, her aura levels starting to plunge. At sixteen times her original tempo, she was going through the exercise once every three seconds.

 _I can't keep going._

"Ruby, stop!"

 _"Ruby Rose, your aura levels have reached thirty percent."_

On Ruby's seventeenth repetition, she slipped.

Crescent Rose flew out of her hand and slammed against the arena wall as Ruby's momentum sent her tumbling across the floor. Her head hit the floor hard, and she yelled as she crashed hard into the wall, slumping to the floor.

 _"Aura levels critical. Aura levels critical. Please stop training immediately."_

"Ruby!"

Her vision was blurry as she stared up at Blake. _Something's not right. What's wrong?_

Had her teammate's bow just flattened against her head?

 _Neo. Neo. Neo. Neo!_

 _What?!_ Neo shrieked as Ruby prodded her mentally. _Rose, I swear to god I'm going to carve my name into-_

 _I need you to heal me. Something's weird about Blake._

 _Fuck you. Why the hell were you doing combat training now?_

 _I couldn't sleep,_ she said as Neo got up from the couch and started running towards the training center. _Wouldn't you know about that?_

Neo prodded deeper into her mind, and she winced. _Ha, that dream was all you. I was_ sleeping, _and I would like to continue sleeping after this._

 _Not like you gave me that choice…_ Ruby muttered.

"Hold on, don't pass out on me!"

Ruby squinted harder as her vision briefly focused. Blake's face was filled with worry, but that wasn't catching her attention.

Why was her bow flattened against her head? Suddenly, it straightened out and Ruby caught her breath quickly. _What? Did you see that?_

 _Oh, you mean Blake's ears?_

Ruby froze, and Blake frowned as she looked up at her. _Ears? There are no ears there?_

 _Take her bow off. You'll see._

She took one last hard look at Blake's bow. "Blake?"

Blake sighed in relief as she hung her head. "Oh, you're okay. I-"

Mustering her last bits of aura, Ruby activated her semblance and pulled the soft black ribbon off of a pair of black furry cat ears.

Blake blinked at her, her amber eyes wide and betrayed, frozen in stunned silence.

"You're a… faunus?"

Blake jumped away from Ruby, drawing Gambol Shroud as she fell into a combat pose. Neo laughed as she strode into the room behind her. "How did you know?" she hissed, tensing as she prepared to strike.

Ruby pushed herself into an upright position, only to fall to her elbow as her head spun again. "Your bow- it was twitching."

Sheathing Gambol Shroud, Blake stood unsteadily in the center of the training arena. "You- I, I have to go." Turning on her heel, she sprinted out of the room leaving Neo smirking in her wake.

 _You knew,_ she said hollowly.

 _Of course I knew._ Neo stalked over to her and kicked her onto her side. _That's for being an idiot and waking me up. You're lucky I'm in a decent mood, I have half a mind to kill you._

Ruby winced as white and black aura rushed into her body, arms tingling as she pulled herself up. She jogged over and grabbed Crescent Rose, then looked back at Neo. The shorter girl glared back at her resentfully, grinding her umbrella tip into the ground. _So you just decide to screw with me and my friends because punishing me is making you tired?_

 _And it worked perfectly…_

 _Well, you're coming with me._

 _Huh?_

Her cloak spilled out behind her as she sprinted back to their room. The door was open; Blake was gone.

 _She's not here._

 _Check the docks._

Ruby nodded to herself as she zipped through the school in a haze of roses. The night air was just as cold as it had been during training an hour earlier. An airship was waiting at the edge of the cliff, and a dark form disappeared inside the bulky hull as the door started to close.

 _Now._

She tensed, then exploded.

Blake shrieked as Ruby tumbled through the tiny gap right as it slammed shut. She tumbled across the floor, unleashing Crescent Rose and flipping to stop her momentum. The faunus unleashed her weapon and sprang, darting in and out as Ruby desperately tried to defend herself in the enclosed space. Crescent Rose scraped against the ceiling, a harsh metallic shrieking that made Blake wince long enough for Ruby to slam her back with her hilt and retract into her blaster mode. "Stop! Why are you attacking me? Why are you running?"

Blake panted as she held Gambol Shroud up in a defensive position, her eyes wild. "You can't be following me! None of you are safe with me, you shouldn't be following me."

"But what's that supposed to mean? Tell me, Blake, I'm your friend!" Ruby exclaimed, taking a step forwards.

She relaxed for a moment, then took a sharp breath. "You were on the floor. You had no aura, I saw it, the computer, so then how- How did you get on the airship so fast?"

Ruby didn't have an answer, and she could feel panic bubbling in her throat. _Neo, what should I tell her?_

 _Te- -e- th-…_

It hadn't once crossed her mind that their connection would get weaker with distance. Now she was alone, in an airship, with a fully competent huntsman in training pointing her weapon at her. "I..."

"You don't sleep. Every morning, you get up at two and train. You killed Roman Torchwick, people at school are afraid of you. Then there was initiation..." Blake thought aloud as her stare grew harder and harder. "I trust Yang with my life, but there's something's been off about you this whole time."

Ruby laughed nervously as she backed away from Blake, waving Crescent Rose in front of her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She hissed as she started to walk forwards. "Yang may think you're pure and innocent, but I don't. I watched you kill that Deathstalker. I'm leaving to protect Yang and Weiss. If you're putting them in danger as well, I'll take you with me!"

Without Neo, Ruby was just a fifteen year old with an oversized weapon. She had never been in a real fight with another huntress. At least…

 _Neo! I need you!_

Ruby ducked and spun as Blake struck outwards, taking the third hit on the edge of her blaster. Firing into Blake's chest, the two girls hit opposite walls. "I would never put my teammates in danger!"

"Well, you're not doing a very good job at showing it! Who's Neo?"

 _Landing engaged. Reaching Vale in fifteen seconds._

Ruby's mind shut down. The crimson was coming back, the blood she had started to see whenever she got angry. She couldn't push it back down as the door to the airship slowly started to open. "How do you know about her?" she said in a dangerously low tone, barreling out of the ship and unleashing Crescent Rose into the dark.

 _What am I doing? Blake's my friend! We're teammates! Who cares if she's a Faunus?_

This wasn't her.

She couldn't stop herself.

Blake stood illuminated against the airship interior. "You talk in your sleep."

Someone screamed as Ruby opened fire on Blake. _She can't know about Neo. Nobody can't know about Neo. Nobody can know about the things I think- she thinks- we think- I- I-_

A trail of smoke soared into the sky as bullets ripped through a line of shadow clones. Ruby narrowed her eyes as Blake's semblance paused for a moment. Activating her own, she rocketed forwards and knocked Blake into a shipping crate.

She flipped in midair and sprang off, flicking Gambol Shroud towards Ruby's legs. Ruby was gone before she could finish the action, and Crescent Rose's blade clashed with Blake's.

Close combat was fast, which was what she did best. She was still having trouble getting to Blake as her teammate spammed shadow clones, lashing out with both ends of her weapon.

When she felt her aura levels starting to drop, Ruby knew she had to do something drastic.

 _What would Neo do?_

Letting her feet settle and focusing in on Blake, she launched into the exercise she had just been practicing. Blake's face lit up with recognition, and she smirked slightly.

 _Neo plays dirty._

Side slash. Right cross. Spin into left cross. Anchor the tip and kick out. Cut down. Roll into low sweep. Fake left into right spin. Side slash. Fake right into left spin. Side slash. Fake right cross into ram forwards.

Blake held Gambol Shroud up, ready to parry the cut-down. Ruby fired and kicked backward instead. Her teammate tumbled across the concrete, Gambol Shroud flying out of her hands. In an instant, she had grabbed the loose weapon and had Crescent Rose at her teammate's throat. The black haired girl laughed harshly. "What are you going to do, Black Rose? Kill me?"

The haze started to drift away from Ruby's vision, and she realized what she had just done. She was holding her weapon to her teammate's throat. She was threatening to kill her partner in cold blood. Because of Neo. Everything was because of Neo. "Blake, you can't run! What are you even protecting Yang and Weiss from?"

Blake glared up at her. "I'm not running anymore, am I?"

Ruby quickly pulled Crescent Rose away and got off of her teammate. "Blake, I'm- I'm sorry! I didn't-"

"Look. Ruby, I'll give you answers, but I want them too," Blake said as she yanked Gambol Shroud out of her trembling hands.

The transport ship came flying back into view, and Ruby shuddered at the pure malice she felt coming off it in waves.

 _Ruby. Rose. What. Did. You. Do._

Desperately looking at Blake, she said, "Why are we fighting? We're teammates! I thought we were friends."

Blake's ears flattened for a moment before she retied her bow around them, sheathing her weapon. "We were never friends, you were just Yang's little sister I had to be nice too. And we're going to keep pretending we're friends because I'm not going to let Yang get hurt. I was leaving to protect them from my past. I'm going back to protect them from you"

She stalked into the airship, and Ruby had no choice but to follow her past Neo, who had nothing but rage in her expression.

* * *

Ruby stared blankly ahead as her surroundings changed to the Beacon Cafeteria. _What are you showing me now?_ _Another nightmare?_

Neo glared balefully at her as she lounged at the end of a table, flickering. _I don't know why you're here, I'm listening to your teammate's conversation. As far as I know, you're still asleep._

Team JNPR and the rest of Team WBYR sat around the table eating breakfast. Ren and Nora were talking quietly – or at least, Ren was trying to have a private conversation with Nore, who was being her usual self. Blake had deep shadows around her eyes as she brooded at the edge of the group, while everyone else was eating quietly.

Pyrrha sighed as pushed her bowl away. "Yang?"

"Yeah?"

The Mistrali warrior frowned as she turned to Ruby's sister. "I'm really worried about Ruby. Why isn't she here right now?"

"I don't know," Yang said tiredly. "She's gotten worse lately, and I don't know how to help her." She balled her hand into a fist and slammed the table, rattling all of their dishes.

 _Yang,_ Ruby whispered, desperately wishing she could hug her. She knew her sister, better than anyone at that table. She could see the pain in her expression, and she hated seeing her so worried.

"Blake, has she been sleeping?" Pyrrha asked.

The faunus turned slowly and glared at her uninterestedly. Ruby bit her tongue as her bow flattened against her head. _If she wants to hide her heritage from them, she's doing a terrible job. How does she think she's protecting them_ _like this_ _?_

"No."

Jaune laughed, "Not a morning person, huh?" She whipped around to face him, and he slowly stopped and shrank down in his seat. "Okay, note to self: stop provoking crazy warrior girls. Got it, I'll just talk to Ren now..."

He turned to his left and found himself staring directly at Nora, whose hand had gone to Manghild. "You're interrupting our _private conversation._ "

Jaune sighed. "Nora, literally the entire table knows you and Ren are talking about your missing pancake mix."

"See, now you're eavesdropping too! Ren, make him stop!"

Ren shrugged.

Jaune groaned as his head hit the table. "I can't win, can I?"

Yang sighed as Weiss piped up. "She's tired all the time, too! We're not even going by my original study plan-"

"Thank god for that."

"Yang!" Weiss said angrily. "You're missing the point, out of everyone on our team, she needs the most help with her academic classes. I can't help her if she's this tired all the time!"

 _Weiss wants to help me?_ Ruby asked in surprise. _I thought she hated me._

 _You're also extraordinarily dense and naive._

 _Hey, I'm not!_

Neo rolled her eyes at her. _Yes. Yes you are._

Yang buried her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do. I want to help her feel better but I don't know how."

"Hey, calm down, it's going to be fine," Blake said hurriedly, wrapping her arms around Yang. Ruby's sister sniffled as she leaned against her partner.

Weiss shook her head, glancing at Pyrrha. "I don't know what we can do, besides figuring out what's wrong and trying to get her to sleep."

Ruby's vision slowly faded back into her dreamscape. _I didn't know they all cared about me that much._

 _You don't even understand how lucky you are._

 _Huh?_

Neo's expression had something other than anger for the first time that night, and a small frown graced her face. _You have family who cares. You have friends who care. There are so many people who don't have that, and you do of all people. Why do you deserve any of that? I don't understand it._

 _I-_

 _Wake up, Ruby. Wouldn't want to keep Ice Queen so worried about your studies, would we?_

* * *

Ruby sighed as she walked through the library doors. _Neo has one of the least consistent personalities of anyone I've ever met. Why is she in my head? Why does she care about me, of all people?_

She didn't see the boot until it was too late.

Raucous laughter filled the air as she spilled to the floor, her books spilling out of her arms. "Look at the Black Rose, on the floor. Let's see who's high and mighty now, huh?"

Ruby glared at Cardin Winchester as she picked herself up off the ground. The world around her started to turn red as she reached for her weapon, but stopped as she realized it was in her room. "What do you want?"

Cardin's teammates kept laughing as he started taunting her. "Not so powerful without your weapon, are you?"

"Shut up!" He caught her semblance powered punch easily and pushed her back onto the ground.

Cardin smirked, and Ruby's vision went full red. _I won't have another Neo._ "Who's going to protect you now? I don't see your blond bimbo sister anywhere, do I?"

"Let her go."

Ruby spun around to see Ren pointing his blasters at Cardin, who gulped. "Who do you think you are?"

Ren smiled slightly as he started walking forwards. "Her friend." Cardin thought about it for a moment, then jerked his thumb at his teammates and left. Once her was gone, Lie held out his hand and helped her get to her feet. "Are you okay?"

Ruby nodded, still looking up at him even when she was standing. "Thank you."

"No problem, I've gotta move or Nora will be annoyed at me." Ren waved at her as he walked away, and she faintly waved back.

 _Funny, when we first got here I thought you and him would never interact._

Neo flickered into her vision, and Ruby looked at her questioningly. _You're not actually here?_

The illusionary girl smirked at her as she sashayed into the library. _I do have better things_ _to do than follow you around all day. Come on, are we going to talk to cat girl or not?_

Blake was sitting at a table in the far back corner of the library, impatiently tapping her feet against the ground. Ruby stiffened as she saw Gambol Shroud tucked behind her coat. _Alright, that's it. Cardin was bad enough on his own, I'm not doing this without Crescent Rose._

She turned to run back to WBYR's dorm, but Neo flickered into her path out and drew her sword. _Don't be an idiot. She clearly doesn't trust you, and if Ozpin finds out about this because you two destroy the library, we're both screwed._

Ruby eyed Neo's weapon, then reluctantly turned back to the table and walked over. Blake's head shot up as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "Um, hi Blake."

"Ruby." She closed her book and set it on top of a massive pile of books next to her.

Looking at the tip of the black blade sticking out from behind Blake, she asked, "You brought Gambol Shroud with you?"

"Forgive me if I don't exactly trust you right now."

There was an awkward silence as Neo settled in at the table.

"Blake, I'm sorry about last night, I didn't-"

"Mean to hold your weapon to my throat?" Blake hissed. "Attack me? There was no reason for you to go after me like that. What do you expect me to do after I see you depleted of aura one second, then coming into an airship with Crescent Rose unleashed and full aura the next?"

"I needed to stop my momentum," she protested, knowing how hollow those words sounded.

Blake rolled her eyes. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"Um, excuse me, ladies?"

Jaune wilted as Ruby and Blake both glared at him at the same time. Neo started cracking up. _Oh, this should be good._

He scratched his head nervously as he stumbled through his words. "So, I kinda need to talk to talk to Ruby. It's like, really important? So, do you have a moment?"

"No."

"Oh, okay, that's fine. I mean, it's not like it really matters or anything, right?" Jaune retreated as fast as he could, and Ruby heard him say "Dammit Jaune, you screwed it up again!" as he left.

Blake sighed. "He's such an idiot, I'm not sure how he even got into this school."

Neo dissolved into hysterics as Ruby shrugged. "Why were you running away?"

Her face darkened, and she looked away to the side. "What do you know about the White Fang?"

"The terrorist organization?"

"It wasn't always like that," Blake murmured as she leaned closer to Ruby, looking around behind her. "When I was a member, we used to be a peaceful organization dedicated to peace and equality for all faunus. We held peaceful rallies and protests, and the governments of the four kingdoms would brutally beat us back. It's no wonder they became so much more violent, as awful as it is."

"But you're not still a member?"

"No."

Ruby thought back to everything she knew about the White Fang – the robberies, the attacks, the bombings, all of it. It was hard to believe that Blake, one of the quietest people she knew, could have been an active member. "So what changed?"

"When I was… one of them," Blake started, "I was, um, involved with one of the most influential members of the organization. When it started, he was one of the best minds of the revolution – brave, smart, open-minded. Then he started to change. By the time he became the leader, he was the ideological leader of the radical branch of the White Fang. They didn't want equality anymore, they wanted faunus domination."

"So you left?"

"Yeah."

"Ruby, please, I just need a second, can we just talk?" Jaune asked as he ran back up to their table, his fists clenched as he stopped Blake from starting a sentence.

Ruby sighed as she turned to look at him. "Jaune, please, not right now. Okay?"

Jaune opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. "Sure. Yeah, you two just keep talking. It's not like I care or anything!"

Blake's ears twitched as she watched him go. "I swear, I'm going to kill him if he interrupts again.

Ruby stifled a giggle, and Blake looked at her exasperatedly. "What? What could possibly be so funny right now?"

She broke out laughing as Blake's ears straightened up. "It's just your ears, they're so cute!"

Blake smiled sadly at her. "You know, it's easy to forget that you're only fifteen sometimes."

Wiping a tear from the corner of her eyes, she shook her head at Blake. "I don't get it. What are you so worried about happening? Nobody cares about you being a faunus, except maybe Cardin, but screw him. Running away will hurt them more than telling them ever would."

"But Weiss-"

"Won't care."

"But-"

"Blake, if I hadn't gone after you, then do you really think Weiss and Yang would have just sat around waiting for you to come back?" she asked.

"I guess so," Blake said doubtfully, resting her head against her palm.

 _Ruby, Jaune's coming back. You need to get out of the conversation._

 _Got it._

"Ruby Rose, I'm not going away until you come and talk to me!" Jaune yelled as he ran over and jumped onto the table in between Blake and Ruby.

"Jaune, you're an idiot," Blake muttered as he teetered awkwardly on the edge of the table. "You do realize that we're in a library, right?"

"Oh..."

Ruby got up from her chair. "Alright, where are we going?"

Betrayal instantly crossed Blake's face. "Ruby, you were going to tell me about-"

"Oh, wow, I can't believe that actually worked," Jaune said to himself. "Um, sorry Blake. Ruby, c'mon, let's go somewhere else."

Neo smirked at her triumphantly. _Take him to the roof._

Ruby hesitated for a moment as she was caught between her two classmates. _But, Blake-_

 _Can't find out about me, or we're screwed. You're damn lucky you have an out here. Take it._

 _I guess so._ Steeling her resolve, she shot Blake and apologetic glance. "Sorry Blake, I guess we'll talk about me some other time."

Blake bit back a hiss as she got up, hand flying to her weapon's hilt. "You can't just-"

It took Ruby a second to realize she was smirking. Immediately disgusted at herself, she flipped her hood up and turned away. "I can, and I am. C'mon Jaune, follow me."

Jaune looked back at Blake worriedly as Ruby stalked away, beating up on herself furiously. Neo flickered at the edges of her vision as she walked towards the library exit. _Brilliant, Rose. I couldn't have done it better myself._

The blonde haired boy gulped as Ruby led him to the elevator and pressed the button for the eighth floor. "Um, where are we going?"

"The roof."

"Right. Okay, this isn't scary at all. Just a normal elevator ride with Black Rose to go to the roof alone. Absolutely. Normal."

"Jaune?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"Ok."

When the doors slid open to let in the cool morning breeze, Jaune ran out of the elevator and spun around to face Ruby. "Okay, we need to talk."

Neo winked and waved at Ruby, her legs dangling off of the edge of the building as she hefted her umbrella over her shoulder. Shooting her a look, Ruby focused on the boy in front of her. "I know, you said that, like, three times."

"Right." Jaune gripped Crocea Mors at his side before he said, "How can you know and not do anything about it? You've been ignoring me for two weeks!"

She absentmindedly fidgeted with her cloak as she watched the clouds behind him. "Know what?"

"Know what?" Jaune exclaimed. "You knew that I faked my transcripts! Why haven't you done anything about it? I told you, I'll do anything for you if you just keep it a secret." His voice rose until it cracked on the last words.

 _And there you have it._ Neo got to her feet, sauntering over to stand behind Jaune as she slowly pulled out her sword. _He'll do anything for you. Isn't that pathetic?_ _What are you going to do with it?_

"Anything?" Ruby echoed, gulping as Neo's sword drifted towards his throat. _What do you mean, do with it? I don't have anything to do with it. I don't even want him to say that!_

 _So I should kill him?_

 _No! I just don't understand what you could possibly want me to do!_

"Yes, anything!" Jaune said desperately. "Please, I don't know how to really fight. I don't want to be a disappointment to my family, they're all hunters and huntresses and I'm just… me."

"I could train you."

"What?"

 _What?!_

As she thought about it, the more it made sense to her. "Jaune, I don't really know you, but you seem really nice. I don't want you to get kicked out, so I can train you!"

Jaune's shocked expression morphed into one of gratitude. "Thank you so much! So you won't tell anyone?"

"No, but you still have to do everything I say," Ruby hastily added onto the end of her speech.

 _You're a fucking idiot. Have I told you that before?_

 _Yes?_

 _Well, you're still a fucking idiot._

A bell rang in the school below, and Jaune hit the side of his head. "Oh, I'm supposed to go study with Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren now. Um, I guess I'll see you around then?" Almost giddy, he walked over to the elevator and left the roof.

Ruby was still looking at the bronze doors when Neo grabbed her shoulder and twisted her around. _You don't get it._

 _What am I supposed to get?_

Neo spread her arms wide, backing up slightly. _He would have done anything in the world for you, and you decide to help him? Do you even understand how much power you had over him in that moment? You don't just give that up!_

 _Who cares about power? He needed help, so I'm helping him!_

 _That's not how the world works, Rose._ Neo jammed her sword into her umbrella and looked out over Vale. _You don't understand how much danger we're in right now. Unless you have power, you're going to die, and I'm going to die with you._

Ruby's gray eyes were wide. _What danger? I'm a first year at Beacon, nothing bad's going to happen to me._

 _You have no idea what's happening right now. We're at the beginning of a new age, and I'm stuck with you. We may as well already be dead. At least Roman was vaguely prep-_

 _Roman._

Neo froze as Ruby clenched her fists. She knew Neo had been hiding something. She knew it. _What does Roman Torchwick have to do with any of this? I know you cared about him. I know you killed for him. What do you mean, new age? Who are "they?" Neo, if you know why this is happening to us-_

When Ruby's vision started wavering, she knew she had said something wrong.

 _They were hardened warriors, dangerous criminals, leaders of underground empires,_ Neo snarled as uncontrolled illusions started to spiral around her. _Every single one of them understood what survival meant, even though none of them ever did. They had resources. Loyalty. Money. Power. You know what you are. You're a fifteen-year-old with a blade and nothing else. Nothing. Do you know who wants you dead?_

 _Dead?_

The illusion changed to show a tall woman in a red and orange dress, surrounded by fire as she rose into the air above Ruby. She backed away from Neo as the illusion spun around to face her. _You've never heard of Cinder Fall, but she's going to change the world. Before, we were on the right side of history. Now, she wants both of us dead. You know who else wants us dead? Harkan._ _They're going to come for us, and you can't do shit against them._

Ruby shook her head. _I don't understand. Who are they? What do they want? What do you have to do with any of this?_

Neo shrugged. _It's simple. They're going to destroy the world, and unless we come up with a really damn good solution soon, we're going to die alongside it._

* * *

 **[A/N] This is a big chapter. Ruby finds out about Blake's secret, and Blake and Jaune's arcs are both starting to develop. Also, Ruby is slowly finding out more and more about Neo, so we'll see where that leads…**

 **A piece of good news: I'm going to be trying out moving to a weekly update schedule! I'm really happy about how re:Bound has been going, and I want to get it to you guys faster :) I also had to edit chapter two to remove the This Will Be The Day lyrics; if you want to know more about that decision go read the note I left on the chapter.**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and otherwise supported this fic. Please review and tell me your thoughts: Did you like the chapter? What do you think is going to happen next? How do you feel about the weekly updates? Any and all feedback is incredibly helpful to me.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 10/28/17**


	8. V1 - Last Levee

Chapter Eight: Last Levee

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 10/28/17

* * *

"Ruby? What are you doing?"

Ruby looked up from her thick book and yawned at Weiss. "Reading my history textbook, obviously.

The Schnee heiress stared at her, face filled with shadows in the dim light of WBYR's dorm room. "You're… actually doing your homework."

She smiled at her partner. "Well, I'm trying." If she was being honest with herself, she wasn't sure whether she was trying to study or not have a complete mental breakdown. It was taking more willpower than she would have liked not just start screaming for no reason.

Not that she was going to tell that to Weiss.

The aforementioned girl seemed to be genuinely happy as she settled down next to her, pulling up a chair to sit alongside her partner. "Well, then I suppose it would be my duty as team leader to assist you, right?" Flicking her ponytail off her shoulder, she pulled her binder off of their shared shelf and pulled Ruby's notebook towards her slightly, raising her eyebrows at a doodle on the page. "Okay… This corgi is cute, yes, but I don't see how that's going to help you understand the material..."

Ruby did her best to keep up with Weiss as her leader scoured through her notes. It became immediately obvious not only that she had no idea what was happening in class, but also that she didn't really know how to study. Weiss was a good teacher, though, and the thick leadership binder she had shown off that first day was actually incredibly useful. She had never been taught methodically like this before – her favorite teacher ever was her Uncle Qrow, who was freewheeling and often drunk in class.

She still hated it, of course. Every time she started zoning out, though, she immediately thought of Weiss crying in the library, and what Neo had said to her.

 _You have family who cares. You have friends who care. There are so many people who don't have that, and you do of all people. Why do you deserve any of that?_

She had asked Neo to leave her alone while she studied. Shockingly, she had agreed and was now conspicuously absent from her mind. She had said something about going into town, maybe? Ruby had never expected she would actually feel it when Neo left, but there was something cold while she was gone she couldn't stamp out.

In a momentary lull in the transition from note-taking strategies and studying techniques to actual content, Ruby and Weiss glanced at each other at the same time and smiled. "Thank you," she said softly, and Weiss shrugged.

"Thank you for finally opening up, Ruby," she said softly as she traced the edges of the textbook. "We've all been worried about you, but you've seemed… better these past couple of days. I'm just glad you're letting me help you."

Ruby met her ice blue eyes, lit up by the desk light.

 _I've been so lost in everything with Neo, all of these dreams and violence… These are the moments I've been missing._

"You know, when we first met, I never thought I would say this, but you're a good leader, Weiss."

Her ponytail swayed behind her as she tilted her head. "And you can be, um, difficult sometimes, and I know you've gone through a lot, but I'm glad you're on my team. Are we going to go over these Grimm attacks?"

"Yeah, let's do it."

Side by side, the two partners worked through the dense history textbook. For once, Ruby felt like she might be able to actually fit in at Beacon.

* * *

Neo's boot connected with Ruby's head, sending her tumbling to the ground in a dazed haze.

 _Ow…_ _What was that for?_

The grassy commons were cold and dewy in the early morning. She didn't have long to take it in before she was lifted up by the collar of her combat outfit to stare directly into Neo's harsh brown and pink eyes. _You asked me to teach you hand to hand combat because Cardin Winchester could have kicked your ass. You asked. Not me. Don't make me do that again._

Ruby groaned as she was dropped onto her knees. Clambering her way to her feet, she reluctantly took a combat stance and bared her aching fists. Crescent Rose sat where she had carefully placed it on the grass. _Fine, I'm ready._

Neo smirked. _Wonderful._

Activating her semblance, Ruby rammed forwards with as much force as she could muster. Neo brought her arms together to block, and Ruby barely ducked under a roundhouse kick. Even as she threw five times as many punches as Neo, the other girl clearly had the upper hand.

When she missed a punch, a kick to the gut sent her flying to the ground.

Coughs racked Ruby's body as Neo ground her heel into the dirt next to her. _Rose, I'm not even_ using _my semblance. If this had been a real fight, you're dead on the first punch._

 _I don't want to fight like this!_ Ruby exclaimed. _You're trying to teach me like I'm Yang, but I'm not! I can't brawl, I can't throw insane punches like she can. It's not- um- it's not all swirly like Crescent Rose is._

 _Fine,_ Neo growled as she pulled her sword out. _We'll do this your way._

 _Huh?_

 _Dodge._

Ruby jumped out of the way as Neo lashed out, her sword whistling by her head. _Stop, are you trying to kill me?_

 _Yes, and so will_ _they!_

She screamed as Neo swept her blade into her side, sending her tumbling to the ground as her aura broke. Pain flared across her side, searing just like when Neo had struck her in her dreams. Curling up into a little ball, she couldn't stop herself from crying, clutching her side as something warm and sticky seeped through her fingers.

Blood.

She was hurdling through the air, she was hitting the ground. Roman's face was so pale, so lifeless, so shocked to have his chest split open to the open night air. She was screaming, had she ever stopped screaming? Her clothes kept getting stained with blood…

Neo was talking. She didn't listen.

Aura rushed into her body, and the wound closed up under her fingers, but she couldn't care less.

 _I killed him. I killed him. I killed him. I killed him. I killed him._

 _Murderer. I'm a murderer. I killed him._

 _I killed Roman Torchwick._

 _I'm a murderer._

 _Ruby, please, stop, I can't hide noises! Someone's going to come, please, just stop for a minute!_

She was warm. Why was she warm? Was it the blood? She couldn't remember how to breathe anymore.

 _Ruby, you have to, you have to, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-_

"I- I-"

It started as a whisper, weak and wavering, pulling Ruby back to her senses.

Pink and brown hair fell down into her face, wavering in her watery vision. A smaller body shook with sobs against hers, even as she cried her own tears. Neo glowed with black and white energy as aura flowed into Ruby, bringing her further and further away from Roman. Her eyes, illuminated by her own dying light, shone crystal clear in the dark.

"I- I'm so-"

Her voice was light but raspy, and she spoke in barely a whisper, struggling to force out sounds without a tongue. Voice cracking, she hung her head and looked away.

"You would have killed me." _Just like I killed him._

Silence.

"I can't handle this," Ruby whispered, numb against the damp grass. "I can't do this anymore."

"I-"

"Get off of me."

Neo opened her mouth, but she couldn't make an r, couldn't say her name. Clinging tighter to Ruby, she sobbed into her shirt. _Please, no, I'm sorry, I'm-_

"Get off of me!" Ruby screamed and _pushed._

For a moment, there was a brilliant green glow in the night. Neo ripped herself away from Ruby, staggering as she stared at Ruby in horror. _No._

Ruby stared at Neo as her aura died down. She could feel her aura die down. She could _see_ her aura die down.

What had she just done?

Neo shook her head as she stumbled away from Ruby. _No. No, no, you can't_ _have-_ _You- Ruby, please, I'm sorry._

 _Don't call me that._

 _What-_

Ruby struggled to her feet as her pain and fear-fueled the crimson inferno of rage inside of her. Her vision faded to red as she started walking towards Neo. _I'm just you're plaything, aren't I? I'm just your little pawn, aren't I? I'm sick of secrets. I'm sick of living like this. I'm sick of fighting._ Stop moving!

Neo froze in place as the air glowed green again. _Ruby, please stop, don't do this!_

Ruby stooped down and grabbed Crescent Rose, unleashing it in a whirl of gears and moving parts. _Oh, but I'm not Ruby to you am I? I'm just a murderer. I just killed Roman Torchwich, so you get to torture me for months. Maybe you are teaching me something. Maybe I am just the Black Rose. It's not like you give a shit about me anyways._

 _Ruby, don't curse,_ Neo said faintly. _This isn't you, please-"_

"SHUT UP!" Ruby kicked as hard as she could, hitting Neo's side. The other girl tumbled into the grass, scrambling back to her feet but never moving from her spot. "Maybe I'm not the same fucking person I was when this all started, okay? Isn't that what you wanted? Didn't you want me to be one of them? Don't you want to hate me? Is that why you're trying so hard to fuck me up? Is that why I have no friends? Is that why my own teammates hate me? IS THIS WHAT YOU FUCKING WANTED?"

Tears ran down Neo's face as Ruby stalked forwards. _Please, Ruby, do-_

"I told you not to call me that."

Ruby's voice cut like the shattering glass panes of Dust Till Dawn. So did Crescent Rose.

Neo's head snapped back as she cudgeled the end of her scythe into her head. Her aura shattered as she collapsed to the ground, bloodied. Ruby felt her aura dim, and she snapped back to her senses.

She was a murderer. She had killed Roman Torchwick. Nothing was stopping her from killing in cold blood again.

Maybe something in her had died. Maybe it had already been long dead. Either way, she was already gone.

Neo's prone form was left in the dark, dusted with rose petals as Ruby disappeared into the night.

* * *

The deep scarlet stain on Neo's shirt sank and rose in the moonlight.

Crescent Rose gently swung from side to side, creaking in the quiet common room. Her combat outfit had a jagged foot long tear, curling edges turned black as her pale skin was visible underneath. Her silver eyes were cold.

She had wandered for an hour before she had come back to Neo and brought her in. What else could she do?

Neo was so small. How had she never noticed it before? Unconscious, arms crossed over her chest, it would be so effortless just to take her away forever. Her nightmare would never wake again at the bottom of Beacon Cliff.

She couldn't bring herself to do it.

She wanted to run, she wanted to go to back to the training center, she wanted Crescent Rose to kiss the air with all of the venom and fury she felt in her world. She wanted to destroy something. Her weapon was the only thing she had ever truly known and understood, after all.

She couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Red like roses..."

Her voice quavered, her throat growing thick as she knelt by the couch. Her music had always helped her before, why wasn't it changing anything now?

"Fills my head with dreams and finds me always closer…

Reaching out, she held Neo's hands, carefully threading her fingers together as she sang quietly. Everything was swirling inside of her, and she couldn't stop it, she couldn't hide it, not anymore.

"To the emptiness and sadness that has come to take the place of- of- of-"

Unable to take it any longer, she curled up as tight as she could, burying her head in her arms to lock herself in darkness.

 _"If you ever want to understand your powers, this will be the only way..." "_ _There are times where a hunter must take a human life..."_

She didn't want Ozpin in her head.

 _"_ _Something's been off about you the whole time… We were never friends..."_

She didn't want Blake in her head.

 _"_ _We're just worried about you, Ruby."_

She didn't want Yang in her head. She didn't want Weiss in her head. She didn't want Pyrrha, or Jaune, or anyone else in her head.

 _"_ _Are your dreams gone?_

 _"I control you, Ruby Rose, and I'm going to make sure you never forget that."_

 _"Why are you running in the dark?"_

 _"_ _I want to hate you."_

 _"Oh, Rose, I don't want you to die. I'm only going to make you use me, in the same way I'm going to use you."  
_

 _"I want you to be one of them."_

 _"_ _You don't understand. You don't understand anything about me. Roman wasn't like them. He was different. He cared about me. He listened to me. So, I did it for him. I wanted to do it for him. And now, I can't even grieve for him because you're in my head! Get out of my head! There's always someone in my head!"_

"I don't understand," she whispered to the dark.

 _"Because I loved him. And you will always be the person who took that away from me."_

 _"If you won't be one of them..."_

 _"_ _You have family who cares. You have friends who care. There are so many people who don't have that, and you do of all people. Why do you deserve any of that? I don't understand it."_

 _"I'll just turn you into one of them myself."_

 _"I'm so-"_

Reaching deep inside of herself, Ruby found her aura, pulsating crimson, sparking with Neo's white and black. For the first time, she could see Neo's aura as well, connecting to hers as pure energy shifted between them. There was an alien beauty to it, but Ruby couldn't see it.

Instead, she pulled as hard as she could.

Was this what Ozpin had mean, manipulating aura to calm herself? Her aura shrank and pulled away from Neo, growing smaller as its edges solidified into a hard shell around her core.

What was the ball of silver at her center? Curiously, she poked it only to meet solid resistance. It didn't matter, anyways. It wasn't like it was important.

Neo's aura feebly tried to hold onto hers, but she tore herself away and into herself. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't tear herself away from a tiny golden cord connecting them together. Frustrated, she pushed her aura further into herself, dragging red tendrils away from the darkness around her and into her core.

Slowly, her tears dried up as she began to reach her aura's limit.

 _I don't want Neo in my head._

 _I don't want anyone in my head._

 _I don't want to be in my own head anymore._

* * *

Ruby Rose's eyes shot open, red flecks dancing across steely gray.

It was comfortable, somehow, to feel nothing at all.

* * *

Neo woke up slowly, her head raging against every move she made. Once she had woken up enough, she cast out to Ruby – to apologize, to tell her anything.

 _Ruby?_

Reaching out, she was met with a wall, one she could pass no matter how hard she raged against it. After casting her aura against Ruby's for several minutes, she sunk deeper onto the couch and buried her head in her hands.

 _What have I done?_

* * *

"So, Jaune..."

"Huh?"

Weiss looked at him calculatingly, although a small smile betrayed her unusually good mood. She had finally gotten through to Ruby last night, so it wouldn't hurt to be happy with herself every one in a while, would it? Besides, as much as she hated to admit it, the idiot boy's position as a team leader made him her peer and equal. She had to at least pretend she wanted to interact with him. "What did you think of the leadership conference this weekend? Is JNPR ready for our trip to Forever Fall tomorrow?"

Jaune looked like a deer caught in headlights. She was used to that, as it seemed to happen to people around her often at home in Atlas. "Oh, um, I'm not sure about the leadership stuff, I guess the tactics workshop was pretty interesting. We a-"

"We're totally going to kick Grimm butt tomorrow!" Nora yelled enthusiastically, pounding the table as she got to her feet. "Me and Ren and Pyrrha have been training super hard together, so anything bad that comes along is gonna get smashed."

Ren shrugged as he pulled his partner down into her seat. "It'll be fun," he said as he took another bite out of his stack of pancakes.

Team JNPR and WBY were seated around their breakfasts, bright morning light streaming into the cafeteria. Blake and Yang were quietly talking over to the side, and Ruby was nowhere to be found. _Not like that doesn't happen all the time anyway._

Weiss leaned forwards over her continental breakfast – a small croissant with a dab of jam and fresh strawberries. "Wait a second Nora, what about Jaune?"

Pyrrha sighed as she stirred her spoon around in circles in her cereal. "Jaune… hasn't exactly been training with us."

Jaune crossed his arms over his bunny t-shirt, staring down at the table. "I- I guess that I, um, prefer training alone..."

Weiss glared at him. _That's total bull, and everyone here knows it, Jaune._ He winced but held her gaze until she looked away in disinterest. "I see."

A stroke of red caught the corner of Weiss' eye, and she stopped thinking about Jaune. "Ruby! Come over here and sit with us!" she yelled across the cafeteria.

Yang perked up and paused her conversation with Blake to look at Ruby. "Oh my god. Oh- Wha- Ruby!"

"What?" Yang burst out of her seat and ran over to Ruby as Weiss looked at her team member. Why was everyone else gasping in horror? She had her hood up – sure, that made her look like a criminal, but that was normal, so- Oh…

Yang pulled Ruby across the cafeteria and into a spare chair as Pyrrha stood up and ran over to her side. "Ruby, what happened? Are you okay?"

Weiss felt her stomach tumble as she stared at the massive tear in Ruby's combat outfit. Her side and the fabric were stained red, and she was covered in filth and grime. Her head hung low as her hood shadowed her face. _That's a sword wound… One that cut through her outfit and her aura, if she had any left._ "Ruby, who attacked you?"

A hush fell over the two teams as they all stared expectantly at her. She didn't move.

Weiss scowled as she got up and walked over to her partner's side. "Ruby, take your hood off and tell us what happened! Was it Grimm?" She didn't want to think about what that might imply, but she had to know. Reaching over, she pulled Ruby's hood back.

Silver eyes masked by swirling crimson film stared blankly ahead. She gulped and unconsciously backed up a step. Blake made a strange noise and pulled away from the table, and Yang grew even more frantic. "Ruby, are you okay?"

"She looks like you when you use your semblance," Pyrrha murmured.

"I'm fine."

Ruby looked up at Yang, then vanished into a cloud of rose petals faster than Weiss had ever seen her move. "Since when is her semblance that fast?" she said quietly, something in between concern and dread filling her. In moments, she was back at the table with a full tray of food, quickly making her way through her breakfast.

Yang grabbed Ruby's shoulder, and her sister blankly looked up at her. "Ruby, you're not answering me! What happened to your side? Did someone attack you?"

"I fell. I told you, I'm fine," Ruby snapped as she finished her meal and got up from the table.

Yang flinched back as Pyrrha said, "Wait, Ruby, can't you sit with us and talk for once? We're all really worried about you. Please, just sit down and let us help you!"

Ruby pulled her hood back up as she walked away, other students jumping aside as she walked alone away from their table. "No."

They watched her go in silence. Weiss was unable to rip her eyes away from the massive wound on her side. _Stop her!_ Her rational mind screamed, but something else was deeply frightened of and for her partner.

"Hey, if it isn't th-"

Cardin Winchester slammed into the upper cafeteria wall as Ruby unleashed Crescent Rose directly into his chestplate. The cafeteria stopped and stared at her as he slid down the wall. Slinging her scythe over her shoulder, she walked out of the cafeteria before disappearing in a cloud of petals.

"Wow." Nora put her hands on her hips as Cardin's team ran over him. "I know this _probably_ isn't the right time, but that was aw-"

"Nora."

She pouted up at Ren, but stopped talking and went back to her breakfast.

Yang collapsed into her seat, staring blankly at the wall ahead of her. Blake and Pyrrha rushed to her side. "Her side… That wasn't Ruby, it's like she died and something else took over her," she said vacantly.

Blake shook her head. "That's not true. She's been like this for a while, I think she's just been better at hiding it."

"But-"

"Yang," Pyrrha said as rested her hand on Yang's shoulder. "We're Ruby's friends, we're not just going to stand by and do nothing! Come on, there's got to be a way that we can help her out!"

Weiss nodded, pushing her thoughts of Ruby's injury to the back of her mind. "Pyrrha's right, there's no way I'm going to let my partner be like this. Teams WBYR and JNPR, as your leader-"

"Hey!" Jaune exclaimed. "What about me?"

"Well, Weiss has spent more time training us than you have..." Ren said quietly. "She's actually very disciplined and helpful."

Weiss smiled at the compliment, then shot Jaune a questioning look. The boy sighed and shrugged. "Anyways, it's our job to make Ruby happy again! Who has any ideas?"

A tiny spark lit up Yang, and a shade of her confidence came back to her. "Well, I may have an idea..."

* * *

Jaune jumped as Milo slammed against the door, glowing bronze. "Hey, Pyrrha, what was that for?"

Pyrrha Nikos frowned as she pulled her weapon back to her. _Finally, I got him to stay._ "Jaune, I told you I need to talk to you, so why have you been ignoring me?"

Her partner sighed and leaned against the door. "Pyrrha, please, I can't tell you!"

She narrowed her eyes at him. _You haven't told me who you've been training with for too long. I'm sick of it._ "You can't hide this from me any longer. You're my friend, Jaune, nothing can possibly be too bad for you to tell me! Who have you been training with?"

"Ruby! It's Ruby, okay? That's why I've been getting up every night for the past couple of weeks," Jaune exclaimed, trying to turn the doorknob behind him.

Not for the first time, she was incredibly grateful for her semblance. "Ruby? Why Ruby?"

He searched wildly around the room looking for an out, but she had told Ren and Nora to leave them alone before classes this morning. That might have given Nora some… misguided ideas about them, but it was necessary. "I don't have a choice."

She caught her breath as she realized something. "Wait, did you give her that-"

"Of course not!" Jaune exclaimed forcefully. "She never came to wake me up last night, so I don't know what happened."

Pyrrha's gut twisted painfully, although she wasn't sure why. "She's been coming in here every night? Have you two been alone?"

"Yes, well-" His eyes were wild as he met her gaze. "Pyrrha, I wish I could have talked to you about it. Ruby, well- She-" He walked towards her and dropped his voice. "There are weird things that happen. Like, she works herself until her aura disappears, then she glows white and black and it just comes back. I mean, it's not normal! She- she's really messed up, like, she's super brutal and she just attacks me whenever I do something wrong. It's like a nightmare, Pyrrha."

Jaune squeezed his eyes shut, and she realized he was shaking. She embraced him, and he flinched back as if he was scared of her touch. "Jaune, why didn't you tell me? You know I'm always here for you. You can tell me anything."

"I faked my transcripts."

"What?"

"I never went to a combat school before Beacon," Jaune whispered. "My older sisters are all huntsmen or soldiers, but I was never that good at combat. My dad told me he was never going to give me Crocea Mors, even though I was the only boy in our family. So I ran. I stole the sword and ran, and I haven't talked to my family since. I came to Vale because I wanted to come to Beacon, but I didn't have the experience or money. I was working in the city for more than a year before I was able to get the fake transcripts, training with the retired huntsman who was running the bar I washed dishes for. That's why I couldn't tell anyone. That's why I couldn't tell you about Ruby. She told me she would keep it a secret as long as she trained me. I thought she was going to help me, not- not-"

Pyrrha hung her head over Jaune's shoulder as he started crying, unsure of what to say. _He never was really supposed to be here… But he's worked so hard! Why didn't he come to me? I would have helped him, I would have done anything for him._ "How did Ruby find out?"

"I don't even know!" Jaune shouted as he pulled away from Pyrrha. "I was just going down to the weapons workshop to get stuff to take care of my sword, and she just goes all 'Oh, you're the one who faked his transcripts!' How the hell did the fifteen-year-old figure that out? For that matter, if she's fifteen, how is she so screwed up?"

"Jaune, calm down!" Pyrrha said forcefully, grabbing his armor with her semblance and sitting him down onto the nearest bed.

He stared back at her, frightened. "Sorry. I'm sorry, I should ha-"

"I don't care." She walked across the room and sat down next to him. "I just wish you had told me this sooner, so I could have helped you train. I'm your partner, so it's my job to support you. What should we do about Ruby?"

Jaune shook his head. "You don't understand, there's nothing we can do. If I get kicked out of Beacon, that's the end of my dream and I'll be homeless. If I leave here, I don't have anywhere else to go!"

"But-"

"If I talk to Ozpin, she'll tell him and I'll get kicked out. If I talk to her, she'll tell him and I'll get kicked out. I already tried to tell Yang about how violent she gets, but she wouldn't believe me! She has some fantasy idea that her sister is this kinda awkward, goofy, naive sweetheart who would never lay a finger on someone else, but she's not!"

"Yang is really depressed, Jaune," Pyrrha said softly as she rubbed his back to calm him down. "I've talked to Blake about it – she's absolutely terrified about her. She's such a good sister, but whatever is happening to Ruby is destroying her. Blake did say some of the same things you did about Ruby, though. I believe you. Can't we do anything?"

"I don't know. I don't have anything I can do to make her stop."

An idea popped into her head. "That's not true, actually. You have me."

"Huh?"

Pyrrha shot him her best determined look. "Alright, I know I've asked you this before, but I'm going to ask you again. Jaune Arc, will you let me train you?"

Jaune hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I guess so..."

She embraced her partner, who reluctantly hugged her back. "We're going to fix this, okay? I promise that I won't let bad thing keep happening to us. We're all going to be alright. I promise."

* * *

Yang stood awkwardly in the middle of the training center as her combat class muttered around them, cocking and uncocking Ember Cecila. Her plan was flawless – as long as Ruby actually showed up to class.

Convincing Glynda to pair them up in a match? Easy. All it took was a little charm to convince her a good spar with her adorable depressed sister would cheer them both right up. Now, she just needed to Yang her sister around a bit, and it would be just like back in Patch.

Hopefully.

Turning to find Blake in the stands, she smirked and saluted at her partner. _Besides, Blake's going to love this. Sparring her would be fun… Nope, this is more important._

Blake smiled and waved back at her, then Weiss poked her and they started talking again.

"Miss Rose, you are late."

 _Ruby!_ Yang spun around on her heel to see her sister walking into the room. Her heart fell slightly as she realized she looked the same as that morning. She had changed into her spare combat outfit, but she still had her hood pulled low over her eyes.

She didn't know why Ruby hadn't shown up to their room that morning after breakfast.

She didn't know why her sister was acting so distant.

She intended to change that.

Ruby made for the seats but was stopped short as Glynda held her in place with her semblance. "I don't think so. Since you were late, you will spar Miss Xiao Long to make up for lost time. This should make for an interesting fight."

Yang caught the teacher's eye in gratitude and nearly burst out laughing as Glynda winked at her, almost saucily. _Guess she's not quite as much of a prude as I thought, that'll show me._

Ruby set her books down on the stairs and flipped her hood down as she walked into the center of the arena. In one fluid motion, she unclipped and unleashed Crescent Rose and dug the tip into the floor of the arena.

Silently. Which was a little unnerving, Yang supposed. None of her sister's usual complaining or fanfare. She could fix that.

"Ruby, don'tcha think you've been _holed_ up in your room a bit too much?"

The crowd groaned, but the target audience was silent.

"I mean, you've really been _breaking_ your schedule up lately, huh?"

Okay, so even she could admit that one was pretty bad. Glynda shot her a look that clearly said, 'Get on with it or I will lock you up in my Atlesian sex dungeon and perform unspeakable acts to you.'

Now, she didn't necessarily have a problem with that, but the point was taken. "Fine, I'm ready."

Blake rolled her eyes at her, and she tried Glynda's wink out on her. She laughed, so Yang decided that her combat teacher was _seriously_ on to something.

"Let's get this over with," Ruby said as she tensed.

 _What? No, "Yang, you're going down?" No, "Look at how weapony my stupid death blade is?" Is Ruby really not- Nope, this is going to help her feel normal again._ _It has to._

"Alright, your fight goes until one of you reaches twenty-five percent aura. Ready, go!"

Her sister shotgunned backward as Yang dodged the concentrated dust bullet. Kicking off of the wall, Ruby slammed Crescent Rose's tip back into the ground. The handle bent forwards as she kicked down, and Yang's eyes widened in shock as she easily took the hit with one arm and punched forwards with the other.

 _Is she actually kicking? When did she learn how to use physical attacks like that?_

Ruby did a front flip and brought Crescent Rose down to where Yang had been. She fired to quick dust powered shots, only to wildly duck as Ruby rolled as she swept around with Crescent Rose.

Whenever her sister started spiraling around, long distance was the easy way to tire her out. Easy victory.

Yang leaped away from Ruby and got ready to change Ember Cecila to distance mode, then gasped as Ruby activated her semblance into a double crosscut. She tried again, only to find that Ruby wasn't letting her get away. Realizing she was stumbling, she decided it was time to go on the offensive.

Every time Ruby brought her weapon around, there was a moment where Crescent Rose was on the other side of her body. She could exploit that.

As Ruby's moves got more and more complex, she ducked and weaved through her attacks as she waited for the right moment. How was she dodging every shot she fired? Ruby had never been this good before. Then again, she hadn't sparred with her since right before they came to Beacon, so who really knew what had happened since them.

The moment came, and Yang struck.

Her chest filled with a deep satisfaction as she landed three punches directly on Ruby. Then, they came face to face. Staring into Ruby's crimson silver eyes, she knew she had made a mistake.

Ruby pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose, and her kill move dropped the blade directly into Yang's back. She then activated her semblance, and Yang lifted off the ground in a furious whirlwind of blows and red. After taking at least ten hits, Ruby kicked her down into the ground, where she slid back to hit the wall.

 _Ow… Ruby, how the hell did you do that?_

It didn't matter. She could already feel her aura raging inside of her, emanating around her as she got to her feet and bashed Ember Cecila together.

Ruby had 78%, and she had 31%. That didn't matter. She was going to bash her little sister back to her senses.

 _Don't overextend yourself, just punch her then get away._

Ruby's eyes were calculating as she cocked Crescent Rose. Yang yelled and rushed forwards, only to duck underneath another dust explosion. Looking back up, Ruby was already halfway across the arena with three bullets coming at her from different angles.

 _Shit, she's strafing me. Two can play that game._

Focusing all of her energy on dodging, Yang shot round after round past where Ruby had been seconds earlier as she fought her way to the side of the arena. _She can't strafe me if she can't get behind me._

Her back neared the wall, and suddenly Crescent Rose was on top of her.

 _No, she was just maneuvering me! Damn, how the hell-_

Yang dove to the side as a gravity dust bullet ripped through the wall, punching forward and flipping off her gauntlets as Ruby swung Crescent Rose through her roll. Pushing off the wall, Yang landed a solid hit on Ruby's head as she flew past her and the scythe, landing on her feet as Ruby collapsed to her knees after the superpowered hit. "Hah, you still can't beat me, huh? We did always say my semblance was bet-"

Ruby kicked out, and Yang fell onto Crescent Rose's blade.

A ding signified the end of the match, and Ruby dumped Yang unceremoniously onto the ground as she sheathed Crescent Rose and stalked over to the stands.

Yang stared blankly at the pulsing red 2% on the board.

 _Did I just lose? To Ruby?_

She saw Blake, then darkness.

* * *

 **[A/N] Here we go. Right now, we're heading full throttle to the end of Volume One and the first arc: Just two more chapters before we move on to Volume Two.**

 **Ruby shuts down completely, so we get a glimpse into Yang, Weiss, and Pyrrha's thoughts. This was a lot of fun to write. I'm really focusing on fleshing out Ruby's perspective, so I've been trying to keep everything in her headspace. When she locks that up, though, we get a chance to see how everyone else has been faring.**

 **Things are coming together, and not just for Ruby…**

 **You guys are amazing as always, and I'm incredibly excited for next week's chapter and my birthday this week. Thank you all, and I'll see you there.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 11/4/17**


	9. V1 - Forever Fall

Chapter Nine: Forever Fall

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 11/4/17

* * *

 **[A/N] Trigger Warning – This chapter contains most of the trigger warnings listed at the start of this story. If you think that might be a problem, please refer back to those before reading.**

* * *

"Yang? Are you in here?" Blake walked into WBYR's darkened dorm room to see her partner lying face down on her bed, softly crying into her pillow. Catching her breath, she ran over and sat by her side. "What's wrong? You never showed up to our study session."

"Go away." Yang's voice was thick and wavering as she tensed, burying herself deeper into her bed.

"Please, tell me what's wrong, I just want to-"

"I said, go away!" She sat straight up as her aura flared to life around her, eyes mingling fury and desperation into burning red.

Blake flinched back, her instincts screaming for her to run away, to leave her partner and Ruby and everything about her new life behind. She started to turn away but froze as Yang audibly bit back a sob. _I can't, I- I told Ruby I was staying behind to protect Yang, to help her. I can't- no, I won't go back on that._ She turned back to her partner and stared her square in the eye. "No, I won't leave you alone like this."

Yang glared at her for a moment and clenched her fists, then pushed away from the bed and threw her arms around Blake. She stiffened for a moment, the hugged her back as tight as she could. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

"I- I'm an awful sister," Yang choked out into her shoulder.

"That's not true," she whispered back fiercely. "Ruby- Ruby is- She's going through something none of us understand right now. You've been amazing."

She blushed slightly as Yang pulled herself tighter against her. Her body seemed so frail as sobs racked her body, so different from the girl she usually knew. Tentatively, she combed her fingers through her disheveled hair as Yang said, "That's not true though."

"Yang, yo-"

"No, it's not," she said forcefully. "Blake, I've tried everything I can think of to help her. When I found out she wasn't getting real therapy, that O-Ozpin was, I talked to everyone! Dad, Qrow, Glynda, the school therapist, and nothing changed. I've tried helping her, comforting her, but it _doesn't do shit!_ She's just gotten worse and worse, and I-" Yang's voice broke, and she was silent for a moment. "You shouldn't be here, I hate letting people see me like this. It's so pitiful. I'm so pitiful."

Blake stared down at Yang's cascading hair as her partner clung to her. It was hard to bear seeing her partner devastated like this. _You're so strong, I never thought I would see you like this._ "Yang, you've done so much for Ruby. None of this is your fault."

"So why isn't she better?"

Blake sighed. "I don't know. Sometimes… Sometimes people just change, and sometimes there just isn't anything we can do about it."

Yang stiffened, and Blake's heart sank as she pulled away from her. "That's awful, Blake! Why would you say something like that? Ruby- She's my sister, there's got to be something."

"Yang, calm down!" Blake said as her partner backed away. "Look, I know she's your sister. I'm just saying-"

"You're saying that we should give up on Ruby!" Yang yelled, her aura flaring around her again.

"No, that's not what I'm saying. You don't understand, Yang, I've see-"

The other girl shook her head. "No, I don't believe you. You said there's nothing we can do for her! That's can't be true, it's never-"

"It can be true because I've seen it happen before!"

The clouds slowly drifted away, revealing the silver moon underneath. Silver light flooded in between them, carrying the dust into the sky as it floated through the air.

"What do you mean?"

Blake squeezed her eyes shut and looked away. "I told you, I've seen it happen before. When they're changing, you can't stop it. Usually, that just makes it worse. All you can do is watch it happen or run. That's it."

"But that's total bulls- Bla- Oh."

The fabric drifted to the ground as Blake bowed her head in shame, coming to rest in the light.

"I was a member of the White Fang."

Yang stared at her in confusion, eyes flickering up and down her body before coming to rest back on her ears. "You're a… faunus."

"It was my entire life, Yang." Blake had never wanted to tell her story or secret to Yang, or anyone else at Beacon, but somehow having Ruby know made it easier to tell. "You could almost say I was born into it. Rallies, speeches, protests, all of it! We were fighting for freedom, for equality, and we got nothing for it. After a while, the organization changed, becoming more violent and extreme. My family left, but I stayed with my… he was… I don't know."

"Blake, why didn't you tell us?" Yang whispered, her eyes still fixated on her cat ears.

"Adam- He was so wonderful, I thought. He talked about fighting for freedom and equality, and he also- we- Anyways, we fought for a long time, but after a while, Adam started to change. He got more cruel, more extreme in his methods, and he started to abuse his position. He… he changed like that in his personal life too."

"Blake-"

Yang's eyes were purple again as Blake met them. "I tried, Yang. I thought that if I just stayed, just pushed a little further and did what he wanted with me, I could change him. I could stop him, I could make the White Fang about peace and equality again. I don't know why it took me so long to leave."

"Was he violent… with you?"

Blake nodded slightly.

"Oh my god." Yang stared at her, mouth agape before she exploded, her aura flaring up twice as powerful as before. "I'll kill him! I'LL FUCKING KILL HIM!"

"Yang, calm down!" Blake yelled, grabbing her partner's arm as she made a move for Ember Cecila. "You don't have a chance against him! He'll kill you, or maim you, and then you'll be gone and I-"

"Is everyone alright in here?"

 _Oh no._

Blake and Yang both turned to stare at Pyrrha Nikos in frozen horror as she stopped still in the doorway. Jaune and Nora pushed through from behind her, only to stop as they saw Blake. Jaune blinked and scratched his head in confusion. "Oh. Blake, you know, I wasn't sure what was going on here, but I sure didn't expect you to be a c-"

 _Oh nonononono._

"What on Remnant is going on in here?"

 _Fuck._

Weiss Schnee stared at Blake for a moment, and everyone else in the room fell to a hushed silence. Her eyes widened as Weiss backed up then strode away from the room, her high heels clacking against the marble and carpeted floors into the distance.

Blake and Yang exchanged a look. "Go after her," Yang said. "I'll keep them here."

She nodded and ran out of the room after her leader. She caught up to Weiss in Beacon's lobby, throwing a hand onto her shoulder. People around her were staring, she knew it, she didn't even care anymore. "Weiss!"

Weiss spun around and slapped her arm away. "Get away from me!"

Blake jumped back as a hurt look crossed her face. "Please, can I just talk to-"

"I think I just need some time alone," the Schnee heiress said with a deep breath.

"But-"

Weiss bit her lip as she looked at the ground. "Blake, I- I shouldn't have run away, but I need this right now. This is… a lot." As she looked back up at her, Blake saw something shift in her expression, and suddenly Weiss seemed more mature than she had ever seen her. "I am the leader of Team WBYR. I- I used to think that meant I was in charge of everything, but not anymore. Between Ruby and everything else that's happened..." She stepped forward and looked right at Blake. "We have to be ready for Forever Fall tomorrow. Blake, I'm putting my trust in you that you won't just leave like you usually do when you're upset. Can you trust that I'm going to come back?"

Blake nodded slowly. "I- I guess so."

Weiss' expression softened, then she turned away and walked out of the school.

* * *

"Now, what's a little snowflake like you doing around here?"

Weiss snapped out of her thoughts as she froze in place. Had she let herself lose track of where she was? _Stupid, immature, idiot mistake._ Slowly turning around, she faced the man who had addressed her and drew Myrtenaster. Cocking her dust chamber, she said with the coldest tone she could muster, "If you come any closer, I will blow your balls off."

The man laughed haltingly before hiccuping; it was painfully obvious that he was drunk. His hair was black, and a grey weapon stuck out from behind his cloak. "Wait a moment… Winter, what're you doing in Vale?"

Weiss flinched uncomfortably as he lurched towards her, pointing her sword at his chest. "What do you know about my sister?"

"Ah, she and I go back. Like, waaaay back, if you know what I mean. Like, waaaaaaa-"

"Who are you?" Weiss interrupted.

"Me? Why I'm just a little birdie," the man said, holding out a hand for her to shake and leaning forwards. "The name's Qrow, Qrow Branwen."

Weiss didn't shake his hand, so he leaned too far forward and fell flat on his face. "Wait, you mean you're Ruby and Yang's uncle."

"And you must be Miss Weiss I-Have-A-Stick-Up-My-Ass Schnee, huh? I've heard about you," Qrow said with a chuckle as he tried to get up but ended up rolling over onto his back instead.

"Hey!"

"Yang's words, not mine."

"HEY!"

Qrow groaned. "Mind helping an old man up?"

"I couldn't be bothered," Weiss sniffed, still reeling from Yang's second-hand insult. When Qrow groaned, she stuck her sword into the ground and popped him into an upright position with her glyphs. "Happy?"

"You aren't."

"Perceptive."

Qrow slouched, unable to keep himself standing upright. Weiss sighed in disgust, then turned on her heel and walked away from him. _People like him are the problem with this world._

"Oi, Schnee, you need someone to talk to. I see that look, been there, screwed that up more time than I care to remember."

Weiss slowly turned back around and stomped back over to him. "And you're one to talk. I'll bet there's a reason you're drunk out of your mind right now too."

"Touche." Qrow staggered over to a nearby park bench and collapsed. "Come on over, have a little chat with good old Uncle Qrow."

Weiss thought about it for a moment. If she was going to be at all rational about this, she ought to walk away and pretend she had never met the strange man on a Valean street.

 _He's not wrong though. I do need someone to talk to._

As every instinct in her body screamed at her, she sat down as far away on the bench as she could from the drunkard.

Weiss Schnee had standards, after all.

"So. Is it a boy? A girl? Both? You could be into that, I don-"

She sighed, already regretting her life choices. "It's not that. Did Ruby or Yang tell you about our other teammate Blake?"

"The edgy one?"

"Yeah, her. Turns out she's a faunus."

Qrow stared at her for a while, then broke out laughing. "Really? That's it? From the expression you had, I thought she had killed somebody. Relax, it's no big deal."

Weiss glared at him. "How am I not supposed to care about this? What if she's a White Fang member? The White Fang has been hurting my friends and my company for years! People I know have died because of them! How am I-"

"She's your friend, right?"

Weiss nodded and stared at the ground. "Yes, and I don't want to lose that, but how can I stay friends with someone like that?"

"It's always a choice, Ice Queen." Qrow unsteadily rose from the bench and started walking away. "If you're really friends, something like that shouldn't matter. Do me a favor and don't tell Ruby or Yang about this, okay? I've got a little surprise for them."

Weiss stared at Qrow as he staggered away. _What an insufferable loser. It's just…_

She had always known when she got to Beacon that she would become a team leader. Years of training made it impossible for anything to happen otherwise, so why hadn't it prepared her to be an actual leader?

Blake was her friend. She actually had friends, for the first time in her life! Not the kids of wealthy aristocrats her father made her play with, actual friends who cared about her and each other.

Smiling slightly, she turned around and started walking back towards the docks. They did have a field trip the next day, and it wouldn't do for the team leader to be too tired to function!

* * *

Red.

Ruby stared out the window of the Bullhead as they descended into the sea of burning trees, tracing her shadows across the sparkling pane. The leaves brushed against the glass, and Neo's reflection flickered into view. She was leaning against the wall behind her, watching her with a desperate expression.

She heard nothing. There was no bond. There was only crimson.

The airship came to rest on the dappled ground, and Glynda barked out a series of instructions. Somebody rested a hand on her shoulder, which she pointedly ignored as she watched the shifting undergrowth around the ship.

The glass pane shimmered, and the words "I'm sorry" curled their way across the pane. Ruby pushed her thumb against them, and they shattered and spiraled into the sky.

Something about the fracture had been beautiful, once. It was hard to remember what. Her aura was so easy to tap into now, concentrated as it was. She left Neo behind in the darkened hull as she ran up to the group of assembled students. Glynda was explaining about the rules of their assignment, something about teams and sap.

Before long, they had split up into groups. Ruby dragged her feet as she wandered behind the rest of her team. Blake had her cat ears out, which was different, and the three were deep in an intense conversation. She felt a twinge of something, maybe jealousy, as she watched them.

 _Maybe Neo could tell me what they're saying._

The silence was deafening.

Team JNPR walked alongside her team. Nora and Ren were doing their own thing as per usual, but Jaune and Pyrrha kept shooting her odd glances. She caught Jaune's eyes as he turned towards her once again, and he hurriedly looked away and whispered something to Pyrrha.

 _It's fine. I don't need to know what they're saying. It's not like I care. I don't care about any of this. It'll all be over soon anyway, and then nothing will matter anymore._

Desperately, she ignored Neo as the shorter girl played with her semblance alongside the two teams.

"Ruby!"

She blinked as Weiss pressed an empty jar into her chest and said, "Come on, did you even notice that we stopped? You have to get your sap."

Ruby took the jar she handed her, then looked around her. Everything was so red, all of it, no matter where she looked. She had to get away from them as if she was a tree in a hurricane or pressed against a boulder at the edge of a cliff. Activating her semblance, she sprinted away from her team.

 _Nothing will matter anymore._

* * *

Neo screamed silently as she sent her sword through another ephemeral Grimm. As she did, she controlled her semblance to make it explode into a cloud of black glass, feeling a hollow wash of satisfaction. Drawing on her aura, she violently smashed her boot into an Ursa's face, sending the glass back into the sky.

"Weiss, where did Ruby go?"

Her head snapped around as Ruby's sister walked up to Ice Queen, holding a jar of sickly sap under her arm. Ice Queen looked around. "I don't know. Blake! JNPR! Did anyone see where Ruby went?"

There was a howl far off in the forest, and Neo's blood went cold as everyone froze.

"Grimm," Champion Girl growled as she drew her weapons.

Searching, Neo found the thin golden cord she knew would lead her to Ruby. As the hunters and huntresses ran off in the direction of the howl, she sprinted towards where she knew her broken partner was.

 _Ruby, I'm coming!_

* * *

Ruby easily dodged the jar of sap as it hurdled towards her head and slammed into the tree behind her. Spinning around, she stared as the fragments of glass hit the ground.

 _Blood._

 _Dust._

 _Roman._

She staggered away from the fallen jar as laughter came from a nearby bush, falling to her knees in the middle of the clearing. "Well, well, look who's scared of a little bit of sap."

Cardin Winchester drew his mace as he and his teammates walked around Ruby to surround her. She clutched her head as the flashback faded, digging her fingernails into her scalp. _Murderer. Murderer. He's dead._ "Go away."

"Oh, so now she wants us to go away. Betcha didn't think about that when you were launching me into that wall, huh?" Cardin growled, brandishing his weapon as he circled her. "Why don't we play a little game now, just you and us? I'm sure we'll see just who the strong one is four versus one."

"Leave me alone," Ruby growled as started to get to her feet.

"Oh, I don't think so," Cardin said as he kicked her back, sending her face first into the ground. His team laughed as he spat on her. "You're going to take this lying down like the little bi-"

Crescent Rose exploded into life as Ruby activated her semblance. Dove and Russel flew backward into the underbrush as Sky and Cardin jumped back out of the way of her wild strike.

"You." Ruby's voice shook as Crescent Rose's tip dragged in the dirt behind her. "You're the one who started calling me Black Rose, aren't you?"

Cardin laughed at her. "Yeah, so what? You and your team are just a bunch of fucking dykes anyways, makes sense that one of you would be a homicidal psychopath anyways."

"I'll be your Black Rose," Ruby said softly, her rationale and self-horror drifting away into anger. "Maybe I'm fucked up, but people like you deserve to be launched into walls. When people tear each other apart, maybe they should _think about the consequences,_ don't you think?" Sky slowly backed away as Ruby stalked towards Cardin.

"Wait, Cardin, maybe we should think-"

"Too late," Ruby whispered as Crescent Rose spiraled around her body.

 _This one's for you, Neo._

"Get her!"

Cardin was bashed aside as Ruby used the momentum from hitting him to send her boots into Sky's head. Firing, she strafed around Russel as Dove shot at her, ducking a dagger as she triggered her kill move. Russel flew across the clearing as his aura glowed, and Ruby blocked two swings from Dove before catching him across the side with her blade.

Cardin roared as he brought his scythe down, and she rolled away and swept towards his legs. The bully jumped back and cursed, rolling under a wild swing from Sky that Ruby easily countered before yanking his weapon away and firing her rifle into his chest.

Ducking under a shot that hit Cardin square in the chest, she sprinted towards Dove and flipped into her downswing. Dove barely dodged to the side on for Ruby to kick him in the face. Cutting across with Crescent Rose, she sent him rolling across the ground, and his aura shattered. Lost in the battle, she advanced on him only to find Russel in front of her. "Dove, run!" he yelled as she caught him in a flurry of semblance powered blows, sending him flying in Dove's retreating form as they both flew into a bush.

Cardin shot a look at his retreating teammates, then back at Ruby in fear. "Wait, they're hurt, I should go and-"

His mace flew up to counter Ruby's downswing, struggling to hold the massive blade above his head.

Ruby smirked at him. "You forgot something."

She pressed the button, and Crescent Rose retracted around Cardin. He threw himself to the side as the massive blade sliced through where he had been and into her sniper form. "What the hell? That would have cut me in half!"

He didn't have a chance to recover as Ruby disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving him standing alone in the center of the clearing. He looked around wildly, then dove out of the way as an explosion of red dust sent dirt flying into the air. Another explosion rocked the clearing as he held his mace out and yelled, "Joke's on you, my mace is a gun too!"

Ruby sprinted from tree to tree as Cardin's ballistic cannon mace sent massive shots into the foliage, send red leaves flying through the air. Pushing her semblance further, she stopped circling and shot directly towards Cardin, whose mace flew out of his hands as she rammed into his chest. She gasped as he grabbed her scythe and ripped it out of her hands, throwing it behind him them moving into her path. "We both know you can't fight hand to-"

Ruby's fist collided with Cardin's jaw, and his head stared back as he staggered. She hit him again before kicking him in the nuts. Cardin shrieked as he fell to his knees, hanging his head as he massaged his groin. She walked over and picked up Crescent Rose, then kicked his mace back over to him. "Get up."

She panted as Crescent Rose shook in her grasp. _I've done everything she's taught me. Is this what she wanted? Is this what I want?_

 _Is this how things are going to be?_

Cardin's hair flamed like dying light as a cloud drifted across the sun, and the clearing fell to shadows.

"Alright, you've made your point. You win, okay?" Cardin spat as he grabbed his weapon.

Ruby threw her scythe over her shoulder. "You chose this life. You made this happen. Now you're going to pay for it. Get up."

Something flickered in Cardin's eyes as he struggled to one knee. "Wai- Look, I'm sorry. Do you want me to do something, huh? Is that it? Or are you just going to kill me? Is that how this ends?"

She stared at him as his frame shuddered and he fell back down onto his hands. Crescent Rose trembled before tumbling out of her grasp, and the red lightened for a second. "I-" For a moment, her aura shield around her core wavered, and she shook her head.

Cardin Winchester looked up at Ruby Rose and smiled, crooked and broken in the arms of dusk.

"Thank you."

The Ursa roared and sprang out of the bushes. Ruby screamed as the massive Grimm collided with Cardin's body, slamming him into the tree behind him. Cardin helplessly flailed as Ruby stood frozen, watching it rake its claws against his aura again and again.

 _No!_

Just as Ruby dove for Crescent Rose, Cardin's aura broke. The Ursa's claws sliced through his armor like tissue paper, and he roared in agony. Ruby shot forwards at max speed and drove Crescent Rose's tip through the Ursa's skull. Leaving the beast dissolving behind her, she sprinted back to Cardin's side.

The boy's chest was mangled and covered with blood, and her mind went blank. She sank to her knees and shook his head slightly, but there was no response. "Roman..." she whispered, "No, you can't die again, you can't, you can't, please don't be dead, you can't be dead..."

He was gone.

"Why, how… unfortunate. Quite a shame really, the boy didn't need to die yet."

Her head snapped up as a massive Grimm slowly walked into the clearing. It looked like a horse covered in bone and metal, and it stopped as a black-clad figure got down from its back. His skin was deathly pale, and sickly red patterns crisscrossed his face as he drew a broadsword taller than him from a sheath on his back.

"Who are you?" Ruby whispered as blood seeped into the stockings from the growing pool around her.

"My name is Harkan, and you have no idea how long I've been looking for you, _Ruby Rose,"_ he rasped.

Ruby's sick feeling turned icy cold, and she stared fearfully at the man before her. He wasn't moving right, didn't look right, the darkness around him… "You're not human."

"You could say that," he said as he pulled his sword up and plunged it into the earth.

The ring of trees around the edge of the clearing burst into flame, and she grabbed Crescent Rose right before it was engulfed in the inferno. Unsteadily, she rose to her feet and held the weapon out, but the gesture felt so hollow. Pressing the button, she tried to switch to sniper mode but nothing happened.

"My semblance is jamming electric and mechanical objects, so I'm afraid your little toy won't work against me," Harkan said as he swept his broadsword to the side. "I can't wait for Clarent to destroy you so I can finally take Neopolitan as my own… our own."

Ruby's head screamed in pain and confusion as she lifted Crescent Rose up. "What do you mean, take Neo as your own? You're not taking Neo anywhere!"

In the cluttered haze of her mind, she could still distinctly remember how scared Neo had been the last time they had hidden from the man in front of her.

"Oh, so you haven't figured it out yet."

Ruby stared at him as he broke out into harsh laughter.

"If you don't even understand what you have, there's not a chance you'll ever beat me!"

 _Now!_

Ruby felt the heat that had become familiar to her, felt her aura surging as she pushed all of her power into her semblance and flew forwards. Harkan caught Crescent Rose's blade with Clarent's, hooking Ruby around and punitively flinging her back towards Cardin. Ruby staggered back to her feet, her arms jarring under the impact of his strikes. On the third, her aura broke and Crescent Rose flew away from her grasp.

Harkan walked away and picked up her weapon. Lying on the ground, she could do nothing as he picked up Crescent Rose, her weapon, her darling, her beauty. Smirking at her, he slowly ran a finger down the red edge of the blade, then changed it to its sniper form and dropped it to the ground.

"No, don't…" Ruby choked out as he rose his blade into the air above her weapon. "Please..."

Clarent plunged through Crescent Rose and glowed orange, and her beloved blade melted into a blackened husk of metal. She screamed again, watching the cruel twist at the edge of his mouth. "Well, wasn't that fun? Now, to kill-"

Neo shot through the fire with her sword drawn, scoring a direct hit on Harkan's shoulder. The Grimm man staggered before roaring in fury and charging at the tiny girl.

 _Neo?_

The world went haywire in front of Ruby. The clearing exploded with illusions, Neo flickering wildly across the clearing as she danced around Harkan. Grimm charged, the air twisted and shifted, and an intense strobe lit up the clearing. Dizzy, she closed her eyes to shut herself off from the chaos.

 _They're gone._

She couldn't handle it.

 _It's all gone._

She retreated, took herself even deeper inside, shut everything around her out, and willed the darkness away.

 _And for the second time, she was surrounded by mirrors, controlled by someone else. Lashing out, she shattered the red, so all she could see was the black and white, Neo's crackling aura dancing around her in the dark, so she pushed, pushed the gold away, and found the silver once again._

"LET ME GO!" Ruby howled as her body rose up. Forcing every ounce of aura she had around Neo, she held the center of her aura and pushed with all of her might. Under a moment of impossible strain, her silver core shattered.

Ruby's eyes burned with a fire she couldn't control, and a shock wave shot through the world around her. Unable to take it any longer, she slumped to the ground.

The red was gone, and the world turned white.

* * *

 **[A/N] And so Volume One begins to close…**

 **Ruby isn't dead; she just activated her silver eyes under immense stress. Next chapter is entitled "Neopolitan," and the first nine chapters will all come together. Rest in Peace Cardin and Crescent Rose.**

 **Oh, and also Qrow. Because everyone needs a little bit of Qrow in their lives, even our frosty little Ice Queen. His character is just so much fun to write.**

 **Anyways, everyone has been absolutely incredible as usual, and I can't wait to see you again next week.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 11/11/17**


	10. V1 - Neopolitan

Chapter Ten: Neopolitan

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 11/11/17

* * *

The white foam sank into the black sands, the tide receding under the shattered moon's watchful gaze. A seagull soared overhead, blending into the clouded skies. Screams of mirth and laughter came from the waves below, and boats bobbed lazily on the calm ocean.

A young girl laughed as she ran along the boardwalk ahead of two adults, spreading her arms wide like the soaring bird above her. "I'm flying! Mommy, look at me~!" Clambering onto a wooden bench, she teetered on the edge.

She was short, even for her age. Her brown hair fit perfectly with her bathing suit, which was hidden under a pink shirt with a cartoon cat emblazoned on the front. She would have been utterly unremarkable had it not been for her striking multicolored eyes – one a light pink and the other layered brown.

The woman scooped the girl up into her arms and squeezed her gently. "Come on, silly, we have to get home soon."

She struggled in her mother's arms. "Aww, but I wanna play more!"

The man shot his wife a pointed look. "Honey, we need to be getting back home. You know our vacation ends tomorrow, and I have a hunting contract on the other side of Anima to prepare for."

The girl spotted a colorful pink awning and squealed in excitement. "Oh, ice cream, ice cream!"

The man was ready to say no, but the woman shot him a look. "Of course, love."

A bell dinged as they entered the shop, and the shopkeeper looked up. "Hello there. Who's looking for something sweet today?"

"What do you want, sweetheart?" the man asked as he hoisted her up to stare down at the flavors. "It looks like they've got vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. You can get-"

"All three!" The girl grinned cheekily at the shopkeeper, who winked back at her.

"No, there's no way-"

Her mother smiled playfully, ruffling her daughter's hair. "Well, it is our last day on vacation, I don't see why not."

The man looked ready to retort but deflated and smiled slightly. "I suppose so. One scoop of all three in a cup for the little one, please."

Lien and sweets changed hands, and the young girl squealed in excitement as she snatched the ice cream and dug in. The shopkeeper cursed and backed away as her eyes shifted color from brown and pink to pink and white. "What the hell, did her eyes just change color?"

The young girl was too oblivious to notice as her parents both stiffened. Her dad's hands tightened on a sheathed weapon at his side, and her mother pulled him away from the man before he could go after the shopkeeper. "It's called heterochromia, her eyes are almost always different colors. Honey, le-"

A bellowing siren went off as a dull explosion rocked the ice cream parlor.

"Bandits..." the shopkeeper whispered as people started sprinting towards the beach. "Hold on one second, I'll put the dividers down!"

The man ran to the door before the metal blockers started to fall, holding it open as he pulled out his weapon. "They found us. I _knew_ this was a bad idea! Stay here, you-"

His wife shook her head violently. "You're insane. I have aura, let me help you! If you fall, then-"

The parlor turned red for a moment, and the young girl screamed as she felt steel against her neck. "It's a bit too late for that..."

* * *

The voice was harsh, yet oddly familiar. As the young girl's assailant said her father's name, Ruby couldn't make it out – like a fog had settled over her words.

She was still screaming, screaming even as Neo pleaded for her to stop, to leave, to disappear.

Why had she watched Summer leave, again and again and again and again and again and-

* * *

The man spun around wildly as her mother screamed in horror and backed away. "Raven Branwen, let go of my daughter!"

"Get into the street if you value your daughter's life!" she barked.

The young girl started sobbing hysterically as her parents slowly backed away from her out of the store. The ice cream slipped out of her hands and fell to the floor, and some slipped out of the bowl although most stayed inside.

"Move."

The girl shook her head, nearly in shock.

Strong hands gripped her shoulders, and she found herself staring into a pair of red eyes. Raven glared at her and said, "Your parents are about to die, and I'm not about to play babysitter with you. When I tell you to move, _move._ "

The girl still didn't budge. Raven's fingernails dug into her shoulders, but she glanced down at her midriff and her gaze softened. Reaching down, she picked up the fallen bowl of ice cream and gently placed it in her hands. "Will you come now?"

Sniffing, the young girl nodded.

A circle of bandits in the middle of the road surrounded the young girl's parents. She clutched her bowl in her arms as two bandits jumped to get out of Raven's way. She walked up to a man with gray-black hair and pushed the young girl towards him. "Their daughter."

"Excellent work, Raven," he said as he pulled her towards him.

"Thank you, father."

Starling Branwen nodded at Raven, and she unleashed her sword as she walked towards the young girl's parents. A bandit had taken away their weapons, and they were on their knees in the center of the circle. "How did you find us?" the man called desperately. "We used fake IDs, everything!"

Raven smashed her foot into his face. Although his aura took the blow, he was knocked to the ground. "It was laughably easy to put an Aura Tag on you. We know about your little raid mission. We know your team was the one who tried to assassinate Starling. Nobody messes with the Branwen tribe and gets away with it."

"Raven, please… I knew you at Beacon, we're supposed to be protecting mankind, not this!"

She slashed at his fallen body, and his aura broke. His wife screamed, and the girl watched with silent horror. "The tribe – my family – always comes first," she snarled, and her father nodded in satisfaction.

"Raven, stop playing with your prey and get this over with. I don't want anything to… complicate the situation."

She lifted him up off the ground by the collar as he called his wife and child's name and yelled, "I love you!" Turning to stare into her blood red eyes, he spat to the side and said, "Does Taiyang know about this?"

Raven's sword plunged forwards and into his stomach. He screamed as she yanked up and twisted, then dropped him to the ground and watched as he slowly bled out onto the concrete beneath her. "No, and he never will."

His wife screamed. The young girl stared numbly at her father's body as Starling placed a hand on Raven's shoulder as she walked over to her. "Men, do whatever you want to the woman," he said, "Just make sure she understands why nobody lays a hand on the Branwen tribe. Everyone else, take the lien and get out of here before the Grimm come."

The girl stared at her mother as she desperately screamed for her. A group of bandits seized her and dragged her into a nearby alleyway, and she was gone.

"Father, what should we do with the girl?" Raven asked as she sheathed her sword.

Starling hummed thoughtfully as he knelt down next to the girl. "Darling, what's your name?"

She stared frightfully between them as Raven's face darkened. "Darling? You're kidding, right? Do you remember what he did to our camp? Men are dead, she deserves-"

Starling shook his head and pointed at the dead man's body. "He got what he deserved, and so did she. The little one is not guilty of their crimes. Again, your name?"

The two Branwens stared at the girl, who shook her head. Raven scowled and turned away. "We should just kill her, it's a loose end."

"Or we could use her for the experiment."

Raven froze and turned back to her father. "I thought we weren't going through with that. It's dark, even for us. There's a reason it's been banned for deca-"

"Raven, look at me."

She glared at him, wavering as she stepped forwards. "What?"

"Do you love Tai?"

Raven flinched back but nodded after a moment. "Yes."

Starling bowed his head slightly, then looked back to the young girl. "Qrow was lost to the tribe ever since Ozpin took him in, and much of the burden you two once shared has been placed on you. After the attempt on my life last month, it is clear that your protection is no longer enough to protect me. After all..." He gestured towards her stomach, which Raven held and looked away. "Once I'm a grandfather, Tai will need you."

"The tribe always comes first."

"Yes, but your family is still important to me." Starling sighed, shining with weariness and hope. "Now, child, can you please tell me your name?"

The girl shook her head, pulling her small bowl of ice cream to her chest as chocolate stained her shirt.

"Neapolitan."

"What?"

Raven gestured at the girl dismissively. "We have to call her something, and it's a color. Besides, clearly she's attached to it."

Starling frowned. "Raven, can't you choose something more fitting to who she's going to be?"

"Father."

"Yes?"

"Are you seriously telling me that Neapolitan is not cool enough?" she growled.

He grinned mischievously at her. "We're bandits, not Schnees. Surely you must understand."

"Neopolitan, with an O. She can go by Neo for short. I'm going to leave now, are you coming or do you want to walk back?" Raven waved her hand, and a portal opened up behind her.

"I suppose that works." Starling gripped Neo's shoulder firmly and guided her towards the portal. "Neopolitan, you belong to us now. Say goodbye to your father, because I guarantee you'll never see him again."

The last thing Neo saw before disappearing was her father's body, lying in the middle of the street until the swirling crimson enveloped her and she was gone.

* * *

The mists swirled across the barren cliff's edge, crackling with black and white energy as Neo's aura swirled violently around the frosted world. Curled up into the snow, Ruby's pale body shook as she cried away from her world. Her back trembled with phantom pain as she extended the puckered red scar down her back further than it could go, biting more than the cloying cold filling her ears.

Neo's white coat billowed out behind her as she stood at the cliff edge. She closed her eyes and led her face to the Remnant moon, sinking in the dusk behind her. _This is Summer's grave, isn't it?_

Ruby didn't respond, all too aware of the granite slab looming between her and Neo.

"I don't know my real name."

"..."

Neo slowly sank to the ground, draping her legs over the edge of the cliff. Unfurling her umbrella, she held it against the seething wind to stave the snow away. "Th- That memory, it-" _That was the first_ _thing_ _I remember and the last time I ever saw my parents. Rose, you- You asked me once why I talked about all of your teammates like I knew them. The truth is…_ Neo took a deep shuddering breath as she stared down into the abyss below. _Yang's grandfather was the first one._

 _N- Neo-_

 _Yeah?_

Ruby dug her finger into the snow, shuddering as the deep numb soaked through her aching body. "You saved me," she whispered as flurries clung to a loose strand of hair blowing in her face.

Boots dug into the sinking drifts, and the wind stopped as Neo stuck her umbrella into the snow. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as Ruby turn to stare up at her. "You're wearing clothes now. Why?"

Neo choked out a laugh. "Because it's winter, you idiot, and everything-" _Everything is different now._

Ruby tried to keep her composure, but a tidal wave of pain and sorrow washed her into Neo's arms. The sun broke through the gray clouds above, filtering through the clear parasol as the two girls clung to each other in the snow. They held tight in the cold, two lives irreparably broken yet bonded.

 _I'm sorry, Rose._

 _Ruby._

 _Huh?_

"Call me Ruby. Dad… Dad used to call my mom his little Rose. He used to bring her bouquets sometimes, so our house would smell like flowers. And then she would laugh, and she made the best cookies, and I- Mom, I-"

Neo squeezed her tighter as Ruby let out sobs she had been holding back since Summer had left. _Your mom was incredible, Ruby. You were so lucky to have her when you did._

The snow slowly accumulated on the umbrella, shading the iced world below in blues and dreams.

 _Why did you show me that?_

Neo gulped, and she pulled away from the embrace. "Ruby, I- I'm tired of lying to you. I can't anymore."

Ruby shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Then let me show you."

* * *

The world was a spiraling maelstrom of pain, spinning through her mind like a murder of crows dancing over the Pales of Atlas.

 _For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death._

Neo's shrieks of agony rose through the camp, flailing wildly on the table she was pinned to by Starling Branwen's hand. Light ripped its way across her body, arcing like electricity.

 _I bind_ _your soul, and by my shoulder take thee for my own!_

Neo's body contorted as aura exploded to life around her, black and white violently shrinking as a golden glow shone around her body. Then the light was gone, and she slumped back to the wooden table.

 _His name was Starling he was fifty-one years old and leader of his tribe of bandits since sixteen she remembered how his father brought him to the edge of the forest and looked out on the village and said "all of this will be yours one day" she remembered how he was thrown to the_ _B_ _eowolves at ten with a sword and a newly unlocked aura and was told "if you survive you will be fit to lead our people our everything there is no room for week in the tribe the tribe is your life our life we are the tribe the tribe comes first" she remembered the first time his sword sank into the sallow flesh of_ _G_ _rimm how he sang with his primal joy as the sword came out of his first kill a_ _civilian_ _he had shot his bow and he had acted on instinct yes there was the child and his wife behind him but he was protecting the tribe his tribe he was the tribe when his father died and left him with nothing to something she remembered Lilac how she laughed when she was sad and how she squirmed beneath him when he took her as his own she was good to him she remembered Qrow and Raven how they cried and ate and walked and talked and fought and his wife was long gone but it didn't matter he was the tribe the tribe came first and one day they would be the tribe so he taught and trained and fought for his life as the world closed in around them they could not be weak they could not stand idle any longer the tribe was everything he was the tribe when they came for him he would be ready when Qrow left him forever he didn't know the true meaning of the tribe had he ever been the tribe and he was getting old and they kept coming for him but he would not fall they would not fall and he would make sure Raven would lead his people to his dying breath so he created her he would have her protect him that was her job her mission she was the tribe young as she may be and-_

Neo screamed in pain as five decades of memories tore through her head, swirling in an incoherent mess, blocking out everything else she could see and feel and drawing her deeper into her own mind.

"Stop screaming!"

A wave of green energy slammed into her body. Now more than ever, she wanted to explode into the world around her, but she couldn't. She tried, but her mouth would not open and she couldn't scream and she couldn't breathe and and and and-

"Neopolitan! Stop hyperventilating and calm down so I can talk to you!"

Neo's throat clenched as her emotions were buried under a wash of aura and green. She didn't know what was going on, but she felt so empty. Why did she feel empty?

"Father." Raven pushed off the wall of the tent and drew her sword. Neo stared at it blankly as she pointed it at her throat. "Are you alright? I will kill her if you want to undo the process."

The Branwen leader looked conflicted for a moment, and it crossed her mind that maybe she should be afraid of the sharp metal sending a warm trickle down her neck. Brown aura pushed into her mind, not as hard as the initial wave but her head still pounded with a raging fury. "She's only six… Raven, put your sword down, you're scaring her."

Raven stared at her father, whose expression held something she was afraid to understand. "What… does it feel like?"

"I- I know her, Raven," Starling said reverently as he considered Neo. "I've never felt this connected to another person in my life."

Neo shrunk back as the two adults considered her. "What happened? Why can't I feel anything?"

The bandit leader drew a sharp breath in. _What do you mean, you can't feel anything?_

She yelled and covered her ears as the alien voice rocked through her mind. _What? Who are you? Why are there voices in my head?_

 _I am sorry, Neopolitan. It was not my intention to block off your emotions when I told you to calm down._

Neo swayed from side to side dangerously as the brown aura probed deeper into her psyche. Her head was so noisy, battered by memories of things she knew nothing about. Tears leaked out as the aura scab over her feelings was slowly pulled back.

Warmth. A distant comfort from a memory of home, perhaps, or the rough polyfiber of the rouge gauntlets pressing against her back. She sank into Raven's embrace as she started to sob again, and the huntress said, "She's a child, Father. If you're going to keep her, we're going to have to take care of her. Let her cry, she will have the rest of her life to learn about the bond."

A chorus of confusion united the camp as their leader and his enforcer emerged from the prison tents, the later carrying a crying child in her arms. The elder Branwen stopped at the edge of his tent and boomed out, "We are not to be disturbed unless huntsmen or Grimm are at our doorstep!"

Neo rubbed at her eyes with her fists as a tin was offered to her. Taking it, she sniffed and lifted the lid up. Inside, chocolate chip cookies were neatly stacked up. Lip quivering, she took one and bit into it, then shoving the rest into her mouth as the flavors burst in her mouth.

Raven watched her passively, fiddling with the hilt of her sword. "Do you like them? They were made by my friend Summer."

Neo nodded as Starling entered the tent and sat down on another couch adjacent to them. He sighed heavily as he unstrapped his weapon from his side and laid it on the table between them. "Neopolitan, are you ready to talk?"

"Talk about what?" Neo asked as she grabbed another cookie.

Starling bowed his head. "Under normal circumstances, you would have died in that village alongside your parents. The Branwen tribe does not discriminate against those who have wronged us. Man, woman, child – anyone foolish enough to get in our way. However, these are not normal circumstances."

Raven was leaning against the side of the tent, never taking her hand off of her weapon. "In the past year, there have been a number of attempts on Father's life. I am pregnant, so he needs a protector."

Neo blinked. "Me?"

"Yes."

That was incredibly confusing. "Why me?"

"It's my semblance," Starling said, his aura glowing brown around his body. "In the kingdoms, they would have had me killed, or jailed for life. From a young age, I swore to myself that I would never use it, but I feel I no longer have a choice."

"What is it?"

 _Aura bonding._

There was a deathly silence as fate sealed around the young girl on the faded couch cushion.

"You were the perfect subject," he whispered with a morbid fascination. "Bridges burned, no aura, young and innocent. You didn't even have a name, or at least, you couldn't say it – it's too late for that now. The technique is dangerous, and I was half convinced it wouldn't even work. But it did, and now you belong to me."

"Belong to you?" Neo echoed faintly.

Starling leaned forwards. "An aura bond is an irreversible connection between two souls, which can only be ended by the death of the bound individual. It opens up our minds, and allows the bonded into the other's mind." _It allows us to communicate by telepathy,_ "to see each other's viewpoints, as well as memories."

She frowned and cocked her head to the side. _That's weird, I thought it would be something really bad!_ "Why is that bad?"

"Because I have complete control over you. Stand up!"

Neo's body glowed green, and she was jerked to her feet. Her head burst with pain again, and her entire body trembled in instinctual fear she couldn't control. She held up her hands to see the green fade away to nothingness, then stared up at Starling in fear.

"That's not natural." Raven abruptly pushed away from the side of the tent and cut a portal in the air. "I hope you understand what you're playing with. I'll be with Tai." Stepping away into the vortex, she left an eerie silence in the tent.

"There's nothing you can do. If I die, the bond will just pass either to my killer or the last person I was thinking of," the bandit leader said.

"I wanna sit down."

"You may."

Neo slumped down onto the couch, lost and confused. She was so tired, but when she closed her eyes the presence didn't disappear. Why wasn't it going away? Why couldn't she make it go away?

A heavy hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up at Starling's imposing form. _Neo. Your mission, the only reason you are alive, is to protect me. Starting as soon as possible, we will begin to train you to protect me and the tribe. The tribe always comes first._

 _Why?_

The bandit leader turned away. "This is your life now, Neo. I hope that you are grateful, although it won't matter for you whether you are or not. I have to address the tribe now, so take your time to think about it..."

* * *

Ruby's chest clenched as the memory faded to black and the snowscape came back into focus around them. Neo was clutching her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth. _I'm sorry… I'm sorry about all of it. I was so afraid when you took me, I- I wanted to hide, I wanted to be in control for once in my life! I wanted to be free, but I couldn't!_

 _Neo…_

Her head whipped up, her eyes white with explosive despair. _If you were one of them, it would have been easy. You would have known about my curse, you would have shut me down and fucked me to high hell before sending me out to brutally slaughter your enemies. Even with Roman, that's what I did. Who I was. And then you came._

Ruby reached out to comfort her, but Neo slapped her hand away.

 _You were never my master, Ruby. You were a victim, someone to be killed and discarded._ Neo's voice was jagged ice in her head. _At first, I punished you for_ _what_ _you did to Roman. I wanted you to kill Jaune. I wanted you to let me slit his throat, to watch the blood spill down his chest and know that you, Ruby Rose, were the one who had caused it. I wanted you to use me. I needed you to use me. I need you to be just like them, just like Starling, just like Roman, just like everyone else who's ever been in my head._

"D-don't say that-"

 _I fed you nightmares. I trained you like they did to me. I hurt you. I ridiculed you in front of your combat class. I did everything in my power to make you hate me, to make you want to kill me. But you didn't._

Neo rose to her feet and pulled her umbrella out of the snow. Ruby watched her, unsure of what she could say or how to say it.

 _After all of that, you cared enough to cook for me, to worry about where I was sleeping, to still care for me as a human being._

"Of course I did!" Ruby exclaimed.

 _Don't say that like it's nothing!_

Snow blew between them as the sun disappeared behind the clouds once again.

 _After that night, I stopped sending you nightmares. I tried to start fixing things._ _I couldn't stop combat training because of Harkan, but-_ _You still didn't understand the bond, how it worked, so I thought I_ _still had a chance to make things right. I-_

"It was too late, wasn't it?" Ruby asked softly, her cloak waving in the wind behind her.

Neo nodded slowly. _I should have known you would never be like them. When you spiraled, it_ _just_ _happened so_ fast, _Ruby. I couldn't stop it, and you weren't getting any better, and then I slipped up in training and let myself get angry a_ _t you. When you made me stop, I was so petrified._ _And then it was too late, and you were gone, and-_ She tensed, then ran forward and threw her arms around Ruby. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "Sorry for everything."

"Neo..."

Ruby didn't know what to say, so she just held tight to Neo.

 _Neither of us ever deserved to be broken. Fucked up. That night, after you fought Weiss, I thought about it. About telling you everything, when I told you I wanted you to be just like them. I wish I had. I wish I had been strong enough to see it._

"Well, we're not dead yet, are we?" Ruby said, and Neo shook with harsh laughter and tears.

 _No, we aren't._

It took a long time before Neo was able to calm down enough for Ruby to talk. She asked, "So this is what an aura bond does? It lets us talk like this?"

 _Yeah. I'm not sure, but I think the only reason our surroundings feel so real is because of my semblance. The flickering, all of the illusions – I can't do that with a normal person. My normal semblance makes illusions that everyone can see, but you're the only one who can see me when I follow you around._

"And I can really… control you?" Ruby asked.

 _When I came to comfort you in the hospital and after your fight with Weiss, when you stopped me from taking Jaune, all those dreams that ended early – that was all you commanding me unconsciously._

She swayed unsteadily as the full implications of her power over Neo occurred to her. "Do you- I think I need to see- see myself do it before I can believe you. Do you mind?"

 _Do it._

Ruby took a deep breath. "Neo, tell me more about Yang's mom."

Neo stiffened as her body glowed green, then returned to normal. _Really? That's it? I thought you might try to make me… well, do something._

"But I'm not like that, Neo. I never have been." Ruby's fists clenched as she held Neo's gaze. "I- I may never be that girl in Dust Till Dawn again, but I don't want to, to, to own you. I couldn't do that to anyone."

She would never innocent or naive again. That much, Neo had taken away from her. But maybe she was something more than that now. Maybe everything was changing for a reason.

 _What do you want to know?_

"Everything," Ruby said. "I don't know _anything_ about you or her, Neo. She's Yang's mom, and- Maybe we could find her as a team someday, and she also knew Mom and was with my dad, plus she's Uncle Qrow's sister. So anything, I guess."

Neo smiled slightly. _I guess it would be easier to show you than to tell you_ _again_ _._ _Just… Thank you._ _For everything._

* * *

 _Alright, now we're going to work on push ups again._

Neo panted as she doubled over, sweat dripping off of her short hair onto the dirt training ground. Her body burned after an hour of physical training, just another in three long months of physical training. She had managed to make it one lap around the camp this time, but it hurt so much and she hated it! She hated the training, and she hated the bond, and she hated Starling for it.

"Neo, I know you heard me," the bandit leader said as he walked towards her. As per usual, a small group had assembled around their workout, but Starling only was paying attention to her. "Let's work on push-ups now, okay?"

Her eyes burned as she jutted her chin and looked at him defiantly. "I don't wanna."

A murmur went up among the assembled crowd as the elder Branwen's eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?"

"I said, I don't wanna do the pushups!" she yelled at him backing away until he forced her to stand still.

"I see."

An armored fist slammed into Neo's head, sending her tumbling to the ground in a wash of pain. Black and white lightning burned across her body as her world spun. Reaching up, she wiped the dirt and dust off her forehead.

That was the first time Starling had ever hit her.

"Neo, do twenty-five pushups now. No breaks. After that, we're done for today," Starling snarled before turning tail and stalking across the camp away from her.

She was forced up from the ground as she started doing the grueling exercise again. She was already far beyond where she would have normally given up, and by the twentieth rep her arms gave out after each one. Once she finished, she slumped back to the ground in exhaustion.

He hit her. Starling never hit her – nobody had ever hit her on purpose, to hurt her.

"Neo?"

"G-go away!" she yelled at Raven, who knelt down at her side and pulled her up out of the dirt.

The older woman sighed as she brushed the dirt off of her face, her belly swollen from seven months of pregnancy. "You're filthy. Come with me."

Raven's portals were just as strange as they had been the first time Neo had used them. One second she was in a dusty bandit camp, and the next she stood outside of a cheerful yellow house in the middle of the woods. She stared around in wonder as they walked towards the front door and Raven pressed the doorbell.

Clattering noises came from inside of the house, and the door flew open as a man with sandy hair exclaimed, "Rae! I thought that you had work to do today."

"I still am, Tai, I just need to use the house for a bit," Raven said coolly. Neo peeked out from behind her nervously, and Taiyang gave her a funny look.

"I thought you guys didn't do kids."

"We don't, usually. Can we come in?" she asked, and he hurriedly swept them into the house and closed the door behind him.

The living room was a cheerful affair, filled with warm colors and paintings of distant landscapes. Raven unclasped her sword and set it by the doorway, sighing as Taiyang narrowed his eyes at Neo. "What the hell have you guys been doing to her?" His wife didn't answer, and he walked up to her and tried to brush her hair out of her face. Flinching, Neo backed away from him, and he whipped around to glare at Raven. "Rae, why is she filthy with a black eye? More importantly, why is she here?"

"She needs a bath. We will discuss this _after_ she is cleaner than she is right now," Raven said firmly as she guided Neo up the stairs and into a white tiled bathroom.

As she pulled her filthy clothing off, Tai leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms. "She's not yours, is she? Because that might cause some pro-"

"My father used his semblance."

"Oh." He looked back at Neo, meeting her eyes before inhaling sharply. " _Oh."_

Raven shook her head as she deposited the six-year-old into the running bath. "I _told_ him that it was an awful idea. I _told_ him that it would paint a target on his back, for the authorities and for all of the other bandit tribes. Does he listen to me? No, of course he doesn't. We're twenty-six now, Tai! If he expects me to lead someday, he needs to listen to me sometimes!"

"Wait, wait, wait a second." He shook his head as grime started running off Neo's body into the water. "You're telling me that your fifty-year-old man – my father-in-law – is inside her head."

"Yes."

"You do realize how fucked up that is, right?"

"Yes."

Taiyang took a deep breath as he watched the sullen young girl who was silently watching them from his bathtub. "Does Qrow know?"

Raven glared at him, but he met her scarlet glare evenly. "Qrow lost the right to know when he walked out on our tribe. Maybe if he was still around to clean up the mess instead of traipsing around with Oz, he would."

He bit his lip and turned away from the bathroom. "I need to think. I need to talk to Summer, she- she'll know what to do." Raven tried to protest, but he raised a hand and cut her off. "I'll make her keep it a secret, but we both know Qrow will find out as soon as he makes it back to civilization. I hope you're ready to deal with that."

Neo's eyes were drooping as Raven sighed and turned back to her. Sleepily, she whispered, "Mommy, I wanna go to sleep."

Raven gaped at her as she started washing her hair. "I'm not your-" she started to say, but Neo had already dozed off in the soft morning light. Her eyes softening and holding her hand against her stomach, she murmured, "But I'm not even done washing you yet..."

* * *

 _Neo, are you ready?_

Neo smoothed the dress Starling had taken from one of the finest boutique (or what was left of it, at least) and smiled. _Yes, I am._

She was seven, now, although she hadn't gotten any taller yet. Starling liked telling her how much she had improved recently, and she carried as small dagger at her side in a white sheath at her side. Her hair was longer, reaching just past her shoulders.

 _Remember, this is a privilege that I'm taking you with me. If Raven hadn't asked me to, I would have left you behind to train, understand? Don't embarrass me or the tribe._

 _Right!_

A rift opened in front of them, and Neo followed through and into the open clearing around Raven's house. People were gathered in and around the entryway, but they stepped aside as Starling entered the Xiao Long household proudly and made a beeline for Raven.

"So there we were, hanging from the cafeteria rafters when- oh, Starling!" Taiyang exclaimed as he saw his father in law. Starling boomed in laughter as he embraced Tai, while Neo made a beeline for Raven.

Raven's face was tired as she cradled a baby in her arms, but she smiled as the young girl threw her arms around her legs. "Hey, Summer, can you take Yang for a second?"

A woman with silver eyes and black hair shot her a look as she took Yang and gently cradled her. "Rae, who's that?"

Neo looked to Starling, who nodded, so she clambered onto Raven's lap and exclaimed, "I'm Neo, who are you?"

Summer's eyes widened as she introduced herself. "Wait, Raven, is this the girl Tai told me about?"

"Yes. Neo, how have you been? I've been a bit too busy to come around to check on you lately," Raven said with a wry smile as she gestured at the small child in Summer's arms.

She grinned and took her sheathe from her belt. "Look at what Starling got me!" she exclaimed as she held it out for Raven to see.

"Yes, I'm sure our wonderful father 'got' you that."

Raven and Starling both whipped around to see Qrow walking towards them, hands in his pockets as he stared directly at Neo. Raven gently pushed her off her lap and said, "Neo, why don't you go play outside for a moment. I think we're going to have to have a talk with my _dear_ brother for a second."

Neo stared at Qrow for a second before she grinned and slid off of her lap. "Okay!" she chirped before running outside and sitting down to focus.

It hadn't taken her long to figure out that if she tried really hard, she could see what Starling saw as it happened. Sure, she could see his memories afterward anyways, but it didn't change how cool it was to see it in real time.

"Qrow." Starling's voice was strained as he glared at his son.

Qrow's voice dripped with disgust and sarcasm as he said, "Oh yeah, I heard about your little experiment, Father. Good thing for you I decided not to tell Oz, because otherwise all three of you would be dead."

"Leave Neo out of this," Raven growled as she got to her feet. "Nothing here is her fault, and if it wasn't for her good-for-nothing parents-"

"Calm down." Summer's voice cut like steel as she stepped between the two siblings. "We are not having another one of your famous Branwen arguments. We're here for Yang, not your despicable father's actions."

"You dare-" Starling barked harshly, only to pause as Tai laid a hand on his arm.

Qrow looked ready to keep arguing, then deflated and laughed hollowly. "After all of these years, you're still our leader, Summer. Still keeping us in line."

Summer shrugged and smiled at him. "C'mon, can't we just be Team STRQ for a second and forget about that whole mess. Yang won't be an infant forever..."

* * *

"Before you stands a man who has attacked out lifestyle!"

A roar went through the assembled bandit camp as Starling forced the unarmed hunter to his knees. Neo fidgeted at his left side nervously as Raven stared straight ahead, stoic, at his right.

"And now, he will be sentenced to death for his crimes!" Starling roared as the huntsman started crying on his knees. "However, this will not be a normal execution." He stepped back and gestured to Neo. "Today is Neo's right of passage to become a true member of the tribe. She will be the one to kill him!"

Raven's aura flared around her as she desperately fought to keep composure. Neo squeezed her eyes shut as she drew her dagger and thrust it to the sky, eliciting cheers from the crowd as she brought it to the hunter's throat.

The man looked up at her desperately, then gasped. "No, you can't be. Are you his daughter?"

Neo's hand trembled as she stared down at him, at his brown hair and electric blue eyes. _I- I can't-_

 _You will._

 _No, please, I don't want to, I-_

 _Neopolitan, kill him._

Her hand glowed green, and the dagger slid into his unprotected throat. Blood covered the blade as the man slumped to the ground, never to rise again.

Unable to resist, she lifted the dagger to the sky once more before thrusting it into her belt and dashing off of the stage and behind the main tent. Falling to her knees, she puked into a bush at the edge of the camp, tears falling as her stomach roiled.

She had just killed someone. She had just taken a human life.

Somebody pulled the hair out of her face and held it behind her head as the rest of her lunch came up. Digging her fingernails into her palms, she brought her knees closer to her chest.

"I threw up after my first kill too."

Raven sighed as she knelt down next to Neo and pressed her fingers to her cheek. Neo shook her head, unable to comprehend what she had just done.

"This life… Sometimes I wish that I could just go live on Patch with Tai. I wish I could spend all of my time with Yang, go on missions with Qrow and Summer, all of it," she said softly. "But I have a duty to the tribe, and so do you."

"Raven," Neo sobbed as she threw herself onto the Branwen woman, who held her tightly.

"I was eight too when I had to take my first life," she whispered. "Yang is one, and I can't even imagine doing that to her. Neither one of us chose this life, Neo, but the tribe always comes first. The tribe always has to come first..."

* * *

"Raven, what did you do to Tai?"

Neo peeked out from behind the tent flap as Raven and Qrow went at each other with a fury she had never seen before. Sword met scythe in an intricate deadly dance across the camp, knocking into boxes and collapsing tents.

"You know what's been happening!" Raven shrieked as she ducked and weaved around his brute force attacks. "The death threats, the other tribes, they're mobilizing! They know about Neo, Qrow! Tai was in danger, Yang was in danger, the tribe is in danger. How did I have a choice?"

"So what?" Qrow launched a massive overhead strike that Raven caught with her blade before slamming her foot into his chest. He rolled as he hit the ground and charged back at her once again. "You're just going to walk out on him? Do you have any idea how fucked up he was when I left to find you? He was _sobbing_ all over Summer, and then Yang started crying too! Are you just going to leave your one-year-old alone for the rest of her life?"

"They are in danger. Because. Of. Me!" Raven used her semblance to appear behind Qrow and send him flying again. "And Neo isn't ready to protect Starling yet! Neo doesn't stand a chance against what's coming – not one fucking chance. The tribe always comes first, Qrow. I don't know when you forgot that, but-"

"When I realized what we're up against!" Qrow went back on the offensive, tearing through Raven's defense and landing a series of blows on her. "You're too busy making your little warrior that you haven't even noticed what's happening beyond the kingdoms. Oz is doing everything he can to stop an assault that's going to happen in our lifetime, Rae! You can't tear us apart, not now! We need you back. We need Team STRQ again! Me and Summer can't do it all alone."

"We are going to war, Qrow!" Raven flipped over his strike and raked her sword down his back. "The tribe needs me more than you do right now. I don't have a choice! Do you even understand how many assassination attempts there have been in the last month?"

"ENOUGH!" Neo jumped out of the way as Starling strode out of the main tent and in between the two siblings. "Both of you are disgracing the tribe, fighting like this! Raven, you have overstepped your bounds. Leave, now."

Raven's eyes flashed, but she sliced a portal into the air and stepped away.

"And I suppose that you're perfectly fine with the fact that she just walked out on her husband and your only grandchild, huh?" Qrow sneered as he hefted his scythe at his father. "Because it's not fucking okay!"

"SILENCE! You do not have the right to come into this camp! You lost that right when you left the tribe," Starling boomed.

"Doesn't change the fact that my father and my sister still live here," Qrow said dismissively as he held his scythe over his shoulder.

"Yes, it does."

Qrow blinked. "What?"

"You're disowned, Qrow Branwen." Starling drew a massive broadsword from a scabbard at his side and pointed at him. "You haven't been my son since you left the tribe. For your entire life, I have taught you that the tribe _always comes first_. You chose to ignore that, to betray us, to sell your soul to Ozpin. I have given you more chances to redeem yourself than any other man, woman, or child in this camp, and you left them in the dust."

Qrow's face filled with shock, then raging anger. "You can't do that! I'm your son, I put up with your bullshit for years! I killed people for your stupid tribe! I'm trying to save the fucking world, father, you-"

"I'm not your father, and you have no right to call me that," Starling snarled. "Get out of my camp before I make you."

He flinched back as if he had been struck. "You know what? Fine! I was done with your stupid tribe years ago. Can't you see that there's more to this world than your savage little corner? Don't you care at all about protecting people? I hope you all fucking die, and you know all what my semblance is."

For the last time, father and son turned away from each other and vanished into the darkness.

* * *

 _Starling, are you okay?_ Neo asked the bandit leader quietly.

Her captor suddenly looked old, older than she had ever seen him before. _One day, you'll understand it, Neo. Not the pain of killing, but the pain of pushing someone you care about away. I can't begin to explain it to you._

"Father, are you listening to me? I've _never_ seen Qrow drink like this. Hell, I've barely ever seen him drink." Raven chuckled to herself. "Well, there was that one time at Beacon- No, that's beyond the point. He's barely left that bar all week. You have to do something, anything."

"I don't have to do anything," Starling said quietly. "He's no longer my responsibility. Rae, have you given any more thought to what I said?"

She stiffened. "I can't, you know-"

"I'm getting older, Raven." He slowly rose from his seat and walked to look out over the camp through the tent flap. "I miss your mother and your brother every day, but there's nothing I can do to bring them back. If you don't go and give Tai and Yang another chance, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life."

"It's not too late, Father!" Raven said. "You can still find Qrow, talk to him – I can bring you there myself, and we can still fix-"

Starling shook his head. "No, but you still can. Go. Now. The longer you wait, the more they will slip away."

Raven paused for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'll give them another chance." She walked over to Neo and hugged the girl, then smiled at her father. "Thank you."

The portal open and closed, and a still silence filled the tent.

"Well, Starling Branwen, that was rather heartwarming," a masculine voice intoned as a steel blade bit into his throat. "Such a shame, really, that Raven is never going to see you or your little slave again."

* * *

Ruby's head jerked up as the memories faded to black. "He just… died? Like that?"

 _I was nine._ Neo bowed her head as she dug her fingers into the snow. _That was the first time the bond changed. You are the sixth person who I've been connected to._

"So, that's it? You never saw Raven again?"

 _I did. After her father was killed, she tried desperately to get me back for a while. That almost got both of us killed. Then- then she would come in secret, and we would talk, but I couldn't hide those memories forever. The worst one, he- he found out, and he forced me to tell her-_ Neo took a deep breath, and Ruby walked towards her once again. With the physical contact, she calmed down slightly. _Thank you. I had to tell her that I hated her, and I never wanted to see her again. I think she knew he made me say it, but it still hurt her. I haven't seen her since that night._

"That's so awful," Ruby whispered. "All of this is just awful."

 _Not all of it._ Neo's eyes shone as she grabbed Ruby's hand. _I can show you your mom, Ruby. I don't have a ton of memories of her, but I do have a few. Besides, Raven was more of a mom than my real mom ever was to me._ _I don't have as much with Qrow, but-_

"Is that really why Qrow is a total alcoholic?"

 _I guess so._

The conversation lulled as Ruby thought about everything she had just seen. To see her parents, their old team – it was almost surreal.

"Neo, why am I here?"

Neo's face fell. _You're in a coma right now. Whatever that silver power did to your body and your aura, it's stopping you from waking up. I've been watching you, you're on Patch right now._ _Yang and Tai are really worried about you._

"Oh." _I'm cold, can we go somewhere else?_

The world around them shifted to a peaceful wooden clearing Ruby recognized from near her house. Neo settled down onto the dappled forest floor, lying on her back with her sword at her side. _Ruby, when you wake up… What's going to happen?_ _To us?_

"I don't want to be enemies anymore," Ruby said as she sat down beside her. "I don't know what would happen if I snapped again, if I-" She stopped short and swayed in place. "Oh my god, I killed Cardin."

 _No, you-_

"I killed him. I've killed two people. Two people."

 _Stop._ Warmth flooded Ruby's heart as Neo pushed a burst of calm across their bond. _Ruby, that's my fault for pushing you that far and Harkan's fault for killing him. Nobody else's. He attacked you. He bullied you. There was nothing else that you could have done._

"But what about Crescent Rose?" Her expression was bleak as she swirled the dirt around her fingernail. "She was my baby, and now she's gone."

Neo put her arm around Ruby and nestled her head on her shoulder as the silver eyed girl started softly crying again. _Don't think about it like an ending. Crescent Rose, she saved your life and she also took lives away. For a weapon, that's a fully lived life. You cared so much about her, and it's not your fault she's gone._

 _I'm so sick of crying, Neo._

 _I am too._

"Can we- can we try being friends, maybe?" Ruby asked, slowly calming down with the rise and fall of Neo's chest.

Neo snuggled up against her and nodded. _I've never had a real friend before, at least, not that I can remember. I guess we could give it a try._

"I'm going to have to go back to Beacon after I wake up."

 _We'll figure it out when you do._

"And we still have to do something about Harkan."

 _That's what training is for, right?_

Ruby sighed as she said, "And then, after everything makes more sense, maybe we could look for Raven, or figure out who your parents are. Someday, at least."

 _Someday._ _Right now, though, neither one of us is going anywhere anytime soon._

She nodded, then pulled away from Neo and got to her feet. "I know where we should start. We never got to do this properly."

 _What do you mean?_

Ruby smiled at her. Her cloak was ripped and bloodied, but still whole. Shattered, yet somehow still breathing. Broken, but connected in the dark.

She held out her hand to the girl before her, who was alien in a way she knew everything about. "It's nice to meet you! My name is Ruby. Ruby Rose."

Neo got to her feet, and their hand joined in imperfect unison. _Thank you, Ruby. My name is Neopolitan, and I can't wait to be your friend._

The forest breathed its leaves into the sky, and spring sang with all the joy of illusion and loss it knew.

* * *

Ozpin looked up as the doors to his elevator slid open. His eyes widened as Qrow walked into his office and slumped down into a chair by his desk. "Qrow, this is certainly a surprise. You are back quite early. News?"

"Lots, and you're not going to like it." The Branwen son growled. "First off, I'd like to know what on earth happened to my niece under your watch."

The headmaster sighed as gears turned around them in the endless circle of time. "An old evil, an evil that I thought had been forgotten but seems to have emerged once again. I have my suspicions, but I believe you might have the information that will confirm them. I was a fool, just as I always have been, and I will need to give her some serious explanation."

"Well, what I originally was going to tell you – by text, mind you, walking to Beacon from the Grimmlands is a pain in the ass – is that the queen has pawns."

Ozpin took a sip off his coffee as he leaned back in his comfy chair. "I suspected as much, but thank you for confirming that. I assume you would not have returned prematurely for just that."

"Nah. What happened was I woke up one morning to find that Ruby had killed Vale's most dangerous criminal and was _accepted into Beacon!_ Around that same time, things started getting crazy out there, so I did some more digging. You know what I figured out?"

"Tell me."

"Roman Torchwick was one of those pawns."

A deep sense of dread filled Ozpin as he set his coffee down. "That is grave news indeed."

"Yeah, Oz, ya don't say." Qrow pulled out his flask and took a swig before glaring directly at Ozpin. "Look, buddy, you and I are going to have a serious chat about your mental health care and Ruby at this school, but I found something more important out."

"What?"

"I tracked Torchwick's close henchmen down. Got them to talk to me. And they told me something about his left hand, something I've been searching for since- for a long time."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow as Qrow took a deep breath. "What about his left hand?"

"Tell me, Oz. How much do you know about my father?"

 **End of Volume One**

* * *

Date Completed: 11/11/17

Chapters: 10

Word Count: 58k+

Reviews: 48

Follows: 194

Favorites: 108

Views: 8,844

Communities: 3

* * *

 **re:Bound Volume One – Soundtrack**

SHATTER: Mark The Graves – Linkin Park (The Hunting Party)

FALSE IDOL: This Will Be The Day – Casey Lee Williams and Jeff Williams (RWBY Soundtrack Vol. 1)

FLICKER: Intention – Kiiara (Low Kii Savage)

BLACK AND WHITE: Blackout – Linkin Park (A Thousand Suns)

UMBER: Lifelines – I Prevail (Lifelines)

RUMORS: Dream – Imagine Dragons (Smoke and Mirrors)

FRACTURE: Taking Over Me – Evanescence (Fallen)

LAST LEVEE: Red Like Roses Pt. 2 – Casey Lee Williams, Sandy Casey, and Jeff Williams (RWBY Soundtrack Vol. 1)

FOREVER FALL: Summoner's Rift – Dangerkids (blacklist_)

NEOPOLITAN: Wish – Nine Inch Nails (Broken)

ENDING: Wings – Casey Lee Williams and Jeff Williams (RWBY Soundtrack Vol. 1)

STREAM THE SOUNDTRACK ON MY YT CHANNEL - Link on my profile

* * *

 **[A/N] First and foremost, I want to thank everybody so much for reading and enjoying this story. It's my great joy as a writer to be able to bring worlds to life, and I'm grateful for everyone and this platform for helping those ideas grow and prosper. Having active support makes writing so much easier and the final product so much better, and that's thanks to you.**

 **To celebrate the end of Volume One, this chapter is about double the length of a normal chapter. Also, the play list at the end is my gift to you guys – I know there are people who really enjoy playing suggested songs alongside chapters, and that's what I've been listening to as I've been writing this story.**

 **Although the second semester of Ruby's time at Beacon is split across two volumes in the show, Volume Two of re:Bound will combine the two seasons together. Things are about to get crazy. It's Time To Say Goodbye for now, but the first chapter of Volume Two is coming next Saturday! Thank you again so much for reading!**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 11/18/17**


	11. V2 - Hearthfire

Volume Two, Chapter One: Hearthfire

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 11/18/17

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, and I am not affiliated with Rooster Teeth in any way.**

* * *

 **Trigger Warnings: This work will contain imagery of violence, major character death, bullying, discrimination, abuse, and depression alongside non-graphic mentions of rape and sexual abuse.**

* * *

When all of the trees have lost their leaves, the evergreens still linger.

Summer comes back in memories, new leaves shadowing the decay of past, buds entombed beneath bark and icicle stars in the night. A white cloak flitting in the dark, blossoms of hope in the decadent wilderness of dreams. Everything will change and stay the same, comforted in the knowledge of oblivion and rebirth.

And when the autumn comes, even those most vibrant leaves will Fall just the same…

* * *

"Looking for something?"

Emerald Sustrai had always been a careful woman. Stick to the shadows, don't let anyone see you weak – it was how she had survived on the streets before Cinder had found her. The illusions helped of course – it would have been hard to keep her light green hair hidden without them – but she had been an effective thief long before she ever learned about aura.

That being said, she could see when someone was trying to hide from a mile away.

The big man spun towards her, his body screaming with trepidation. Her eyes flickered to his fingers as sharp points slid out for a moment before vanishing. _Good. I can use that._ His tone was forceful as he bowed his head slightly in greeting, asking "Can I help you?"

"Hm, so it isn't something?" Emerald toyed with the loose ends of her hair, a smile dancing away from her lips."Maybe it's someone, then? Or is someone looking for you?"

A harsh winter gust bit into the morning calm as the man started to back away slowly. "Please excuse me, I have to get to opening my shop in-"

"Oh, Tukson Lupa, I was under the impression you just sold that shop, no? You must have a moment to… chat."

Emerald rolled her eyes at her partner as Tukson spun around to face Mercury Black. He smirked as Tukson growled, "You won't take me here. I know your types, won't do anything unless you're sneaking around like gutter rats."

"Says the mangy cat halfway to Vacuo," Mercury muttered under his breath.

" _We_ are not going to kill you," Emerald said as she walked towards Tukson. He bared his fingers as she slid her blade up from its holster and held it against his arm. "An old friend wants to talk to you, that's all."

A low rumble sent tremors through her weapon, and she steeled her reflexes to jump back and end his life. Mercury came up on the other side of the man, whispering heavily into his ear. "Right now, I am holding a shot to your neck that carries a deadly toxin. If you move, if you yell, if you resist, you will be dead in moments. We know about your sister hiding in Atlas, along with your cousins and parents in Menagerie. Move, and they will all die as well."

Tukson tensed further, then deflated as he let his eyes slip shut. "What do you want?"

"Come with us," Emerald said sweetly as she linked her arm through his and started leading him down the street. Mercury scoffed, pulling away to follow close behind them. Two blocks later, Emerald pulled a sharp turn into an alleyway before spinning and throwing Tuskon onto the ground. The bulky man bellowed as he hit the dirt hard, digging deep ruts in the ground as he raked his claws down to stop his momentum.

"Well, Tukson, I can't exactly say we're meeting under pleasant circumstances."

Tukson staggered to his feet as a man wearing a Grimm-like mask stepped out from the shadows, revealing a head of fiery red hair. "Adam Taurus," he spat as his feet widened into a combat stance. "So this is how far we've fallen. Using humans to do your dirty work."

"I gave you every chance in the world. You were one of my most trusted advisers, and you turned your back on the White Fang and the faunus!" Adam hissed, letting Wilt slide an inch out of Blush.

"I fight for the _faunus,_ Adam," Tukson said as he stood his ground, staring his former leader defiantly in the eye. "I stayed when the humans came because I believed our cause was stronger than their meddling. That- that thing was the last straw."

There was a moment of silence before Mercury said, "My employer has informed me that Harkan will be… useful to our cause. It's a shame that you-"

Emerald rested her hand on his arm, her hair whirling around her head as she shot him a sharp glance. _Even after all these years, the idiot still doesn't know how to hold his tongue._

A brief pause marked only by the busy rush of traffic set the heavy air adrift into the frigid sky.

"I'm willing to be forgiving this once," Adam said as he rolled his neck. "Come and rejoin our cause. The faunus need leaders, and-"

"If these are the ones you choose, then you're insane to think I'm ever going back," Tukson growled backing up against the wall and baring his claws. "You're a fool, Adam. Once, I thought you would lead the Faunus to a new golden age. Now, you're going to take us all into darkness."

"I see. Leave my presence."

Tukson did a double take as Emerald stepped aside with a smirk. "Huh?"

Adam gestured to the open way out of the alley. "I said, go. Do not try my patience."

The faunus hesitated for a moment, then walked purposefully out of the alley. "I will be in Vacuo by dawn. Goodbye, Adam. I hope you lift the faunus up, for your sake."

Emerald and Mercury exchanged a glance and nod. _Perfect._ "And now?"

"His fate is sealed," Adam growled as he smirked viciously. "Let them all see it. Let his blood spill out on the streets, until Vale sees nothing but red and black. Martyrdom is more than he deserves." The leader of the Vale White Fang threw a deep cowl over his head as he stopped at the head of the alley. "I will be watching."

Emerald burst into action as she made a leap for a low hanging fire escape. Grabbing hold of the rusting metal, she made her way to the roof as fast as she could. _We get one shot at this, and we have to beat him to the punch._ She glared at Mercury as a dust powered kick send him onto the roof after her, and they took off along the cityscape at a full sprint.

Cars screeched across the intersection as Pierre Gray leaned against the metal light post. His Valean military badge shone on his chest as he stared at the intersection impassively. Peace times most certainly didn't call for desperate measures, so the small voluntary military was relegated to traffic duty.

The light turned red, and he stepped into the street. It was a quiet morning, and there were just a handful of pedestrians around them.

Well, there was one, with a strange mask on his- Wait a second-

Emerald narrowed her eyes intently at the soldier as he yelled, "Stop right there! Put your hands in the air!" She didn't have the energy to smirk at the ghostly outline of the white fang mask around Tuskon's face as he threw his hands in the air – every detail needed to be perfect.

"What did I do?" he called. "Sir, I haven't done anything wrong."

Pierre unlocked the safety on the gun as long claws slid out of the White Fang member's fingers, his sweaty hands tightening around the black carbon fiber. The vigilante growled, "I'll never listen to a fucking human like you."

Tukson flinched as the soldier snarled, "Stand down, you filthy faunus animal!" He backed up two paces and fell to his knees.

Cries of outrage came from the crowd that had now begun to gather, lights flickering as scrolls caught the video on film. "Sir, there must have been a misunderstanding. I'm a peaceful man, I run a bookstore. Please, I don't know-

Mercury nodded solemnly. "Do it."

Emerald took a deep breath and focused.

Adam smirked as he shoved his sword back into its hilt, watching from the shadows.

Pierre's mind raced as the vigilante leaped towards him, feral with claws extended.

There was just one thing to do, and just a moment to do it.

The city rang as six bullets buried themselves into Tukson's chest, leaving the faunus splayed on the cold December pavement for all the world to see.

* * *

The light was dull, a sword leaning against the wall, ready to be set against the grindstone. Snow climbed up the frosty panes, crystal gray mosaics sinking glacial rivulets onto the pale bedsheets. Disturbed, the girl beneath them stirred.

 _I'll see you when you wake up, Ruby… You can go…_

Her lip trembled as cool air spilled against her throat. How was the dark so light, or had the light grown dark?

Slender fingers curled against hers, and Ruby let her eyes slip open.

Neo swept her pink hair out of her face as she smiled down at her. Her brown and pink eyes watered as she squeezed her hand.

Ruby's throat was dry, but she whispered, _Hi Neo._

 _Ruby…_ Neo hesitated for a moment, then hugged Ruby. She didn't have the energy to hug back, but she hugged her mentally as best she could.

 _Thank you._

 _I told you I was waiting for you to wake up._ _Did you really think I would go anywhere?_

Ruby shook her head slightly, then winced as a dull pain flared in her arm. Wincing, she started to panic as she noticed the ventilator around her mouth and the wires on her arm. _What's happening? Where am I?_

Neo cursed as the heart rate monitor by her bedside set an alarm off, pulling away from Ruby and into the corner. _You've been in a coma for a month, it's all medical equipment. Your dad and Yang will be up in a second, probably._

Sure enough, a pounding sound came from downstairs as Yang yelled something incoherent and sprinted up the stairs. Ruby turned herself enough so that she could see the door as her sister burst into the room. Yang swayed at the doorway as her face broke out into a hopeful smile, then ran over to Ruby and threw her arms around her. "You're awake!" She held on to her for a minute, then broke away and yelled, "Dad, she's awake!"

Taiyang came in behind her with a worried expression, then rushed over and turned off the alarm on the medical equipment. Leaning over, he said, "Ruby, give me a second. I'm going to get you off the ventilator."

She gasped as the plastic came off of her face, releasing a pressure she hadn't fully realized she was feeling. Yang and Tai watched her hopefully as she shifted and croaked out, "Hi Dad. Hi Yang."

Her sister sniffed back tears as her dad knelt at her bedside, taking her hand. "It's going to be alright. We're going to be alright now."

 _Everything is going to be alright._

* * *

Ruby knocked once at the door, then slipped through the frame from the dark hallway in the cream-colored light of her and Yang's bedroom. "Yang?"

Her sister raised an eyebrow at her as she pulled her pajamas over her head and pulled her hair out from the top. "C'mon, Rubes, this is our room! Why would you ever need to knock?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, right." Yang flopped down on her bed, stretching her arms out and yawning obnoxiously. "Well, let's hear it."

 _Ruby, I'm going to sleep! Do you need me?_ Neo asked.

 _No, I'm talking to Yang. Good night._

 _Mm…_

Ruby sighed as she settled down onto her bed, smoothing out the covers as she did. On the top shelf of their bookshelf, the Grimm action figures she had loved to play with seemed to loom down – what had once been their massive palace seemed cozy, small even. "I- I'm sorry."

"For what?" Yang looked at her without the slightest hint of irony.

"What do you mean, for what? For everything!" She stared at her legs, playing with her feet. "I was horrible, Yang. I- I was mean to Blake, and I ignored all of you, and I- Cardin- I ruined our first semester at Beacon, and I wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place."

"Nobody blames you for any of that, Ruby." Yang though about it for a moment, then said, "Well… Blake has a problem with you, but we can work on that, okay? We all know you were going through something."

"But Cardin-"

"You di-"

"I watched him die, Yang!" Ruby drew a shuddering breath as she pulled her arms against her chest. "He- he tried to throw a jar of sap at me, and we ended up fighting a-and I lost control and he was on the ground and I don't know what I would have done but the Grimm came and-"

"It's not your fault, Ruby!" Yang slammed her bed with her fist, sending a stuffed animal that had been teetering on the edge onto the floor. "We've all been so worried about you, and all you did was get more and more distant! Let us help you! Let us do something! I care! Weiss cares! Blake cares! Pyrrha cares! Jaune is terrified of you, but Pyrrha can make him care..."

"Is everything alright up there?" Tai's voice drifted up from the kitchen.

"We're fine, dad!" Yang shouted back, then took a deep breath to calm herself down.

Ruby shook her head at her sister. "Yang, I've seen two people die. I-I killed one of them, and I beat Cardin half to death. How can- How am I supposed to- I don't know why anyone would want to see me again. I'll just go back to Signal, or-"

"Of course we want to see you again!" Yang exclaimed. "I'm your sister, and the rest are your teammates. Why don't you understand that we all just want you to get better?"

"Because I-"

"Arf!"

Ruby and Yang stared as their small black and white dog trotted into the room carrying a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, all precariously balanced on her head. He cocked his head to one side and stuck his tongue out, and Yang made a heroic save before the milk spilled across the floor. They looked at each other and burst out laughing as Ruby took the cookies away from the puppy and squeezed him.

Yang shook her head as Ruby started eagerly making her way through the deserts. "Some things never change, huh?"

"Cookies are always amazing," she mumbled.

"Give me one of those!"

"Hey! Cookie caper!"

Yang grinned maliciously as her sister flailed her arms wildly at the plate held above her head. "You'll never get them now- hey!"

"Boob punch!"

"Come back here, you little-"

Ruby sprinted to the other side of the bed as Yang's aura flared to life. "Catch me now!"

Yang grabbed her pillows in either hand and stalked towards Ruby, who was busily shoving every cookie on the plate into her mouth whole. "Prepare to die!"

"Pillow fight!"

Zwei didn't know what was happening, but his tail wagged furiously as he launched himself into the fury of fluff for maximum hugs.

After wrestling for a couple minutes, Ruby breathlessly collapsed onto the floor in laughter as Yang held the empty cookie plate up to the light. "You heartless monster, they're all gone!"

"I missed this."

"Huh?" Yang rolled to the edge of the bed and stared down at Ruby as Zwei clambered onto her head.

"I miss the way I was before all of this happened," she said wistfully as she pulled a fallen pillow under her head. "Just being all happy and energetic. It was fun, not having to care about everything all the time."

"You could still go back," Yang said, her tone thick. "That Ruby is still in there, somewhere."

"But she's not, though," Ruby replied with a sad smile, tracing the cracks in their ceiling and shading her face from the light. "I wish that was still me, but it's not. I'll always be Ruby, your sister, but I don't know if I can go back. I don't know if I want to go back."

Her sister slid her legs off of the edge of the bed, raking her hair out of her face again. "I know that, silly. That doesn't mean we don't still love you and care about you. You're on our team, and we're just glad we still have our teammate."

"Is everyone else doing okay?" Ruby asked softly, almost shyly.

"Yeah, Weiss had to go back to Atlas over break, and Blake is staying with friends in Vale. I think Jaune and Pyrrha went back to Mistral together, and Ren and Nora- actually, I have no idea what they do. Haven't you looked at your scroll since you woke up?"

She shook her head, asking, "No, why?"

"Weiss and Pyrrha have both been texting you like crazy. You should make sure Ice Queen isn't freaking out over you, or something."

"Can't it wait for the morning?" Ruby yawned as she got to her feet and walked towards the bathroom.

"You're awake, Ruby, and that's all that matters," Yang said softly. "We have the rest of our lives to figure things out."

* * *

"So, Jaune, how did you meet my daughter?"

Pyrrha sighed as Jaune fidgeted nervously, staring down at his food. _Oh, please make a good impression on my parents._

"Well, I was kinda plummeting to my death, and she caught me with her spear?"

Pyrrha's father was an imposing man, with burning red hair and a deep scar on his left jaw. He raised his eyebrow at her, and she shot him the best 'yes he's hopeless but give him a chance' look she could. Aurum Nikos sighed and turned back to Jaune. "I've been told that you have a rather impressive aura. Why didn't you use your semblance to land?"

"I didn't exactly have my aura back then," Jaune muttered, "And I don't know what my semblance is yet."

"I see."

Lila Nikos rested her hand on his arm, and she said, "Honey, let's change the subject. Pyrrha, honey, you should to enter the Vytal festival. It will be a wonderful opportunity for you to..."

Pyrrha poked at the elaborate meal that had been set out to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Why had she made Jaune come over for dinner tonight? Why had she come? They had been perfectly happy wandering through Mistral's tourist spots, just the two of them, and now her parents were ruining the pleasant mood that she had managed to put herself in after the Forever Fall incident.

And now she was thinking about that. Wonderful. Just… wonderful.

"Well, we're going to have to discuss it as a team," Jaune said firmly as he shot Pyrrha a concerned glance. She gave him a small smile then stared at the decorated walls of the Nikos household. "Besides, we don't even know if we'll qualify."

"With an attitude like that, I don't know how Ozpin was in his right mind making you a leader," Aurum muttered under his breath, and Lila slapped him lightly.

"Oh, shut up Aur. Honey, you're the most decorated tournament champion in Mistral! Of course they'll have to let you in, what other choice do they have?" her mom said lightly.

 _Okay, that's it._ "I- I'm not feeling well, I'm going to go look at my old room." She pushed away from the table and storming up two flights of stairs. Breathlessly, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

 _I was going to keep my composure! I let myself be weak in front of Jaune – why did I even want him to meet my parents in the first place? Why do I care?_

"Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha flinched as she whirled around to face her partner, her face flushing as she stumbled backward. "Jaune, you scared me."

"Well, you did leave me alone with your parents, who were giving me these looks that were kinda scary." The blond boy scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Besides, I figured that you were probably freaking out up here anyway, so-"

"Oh."

Jaune had left his armor at the door, and his old sweatshirt hugged his muscular frame tightly. He had really filled out since coming to Beacon, she thought – no more scrawny farm boy to be found. "Um, Pyr? What were you saying about your old room? Isn't that just your room?"

"Well, not exactly." Pyrrha stared at the fancily carpeted floor. "I… haven't actually lived here since I was fourteen. That apartment we've been staying in – yes, my parents paid for it, but it belongs to me. That's my real home."

Jaune looked dumbstruck, and her spirits fell. _He doesn't get it. Why would he get it, I've never said anything about it._ "But your parents live in a _mansion_! There's like, art! And gold! And those weird dispensers with orange juice that I'm actually _not_ supposed to touch."

She laughed as he gestured wildly at all of the over the top things around them. "They do have a very nice house, I suppose. I just- Maybe if I show you my room, you'll understand."

Jaune gaped as she flipped the light switch and the master bedroom came to life. White carpet covered a space the size of the apartment they had been staying in. A massive king sized bed with drapery was against one wall, with an empty walk-in closet adjacent to it. Most strikingly, the far wall was covered with trophies and plaques: stacked on shelves, hanging loosely, and the four golden statues nearly half Jaune's height displayed from marble pedestals.

"It's so..."

"Big?"

Jaune shook his head. "I was going to say empty."

Pyrrha walked towards the bed with her arms outstretched, her dress flowing out behind her. "My parents used to tell me that they would give me anything in the world if I won the tournaments for them. I got the best trainers, I lived in a palace, and I did win them, Jaune. But I hate all of this." She caught his blue eyes and shrugged. "The beauty, the grandeur, the fame. I hated it, and I hated how lonely I was because of it."

"Pyrrha, I had no idea..." Jaune said, staring at the golden statuettes in his teammate's likeness.

"So they let me leave. I could live on my own, as long as I kept winning the tournaments. I moved out after I won the tournament for the first time, and- well, clearly I did what I said I would do. That's what I like about you, Jaune."

"Me?"

"I came to Beacon to get away from all of that. You've always seen me for me, not the tournament winner everyone else sees. Thank you." Pyrrha smiled at him, rushing forwards and embracing him. "I know they're horrible, so thank you for sitting through that with me."

"I mean, who even serves anchovies in their salads?" Jaune muttered into her shoulder, and she laughed as she led him out of her room.

"C'mon, Jaune," she said lightly as they walked back towards the staircase. Today, she had to deal with her parents, but it would only be a few short days before she was back at Beacon, back with her family. "Let's go home."

* * *

 _Neo, this is a nightmare! Wake up!_

Neo breathed heavily as she curled up in the corner of the metal cage. Tears stained her cheeks as the events of the night played out over and over in her mind. Starling slumping to the floor before getting swept away by the mysterious man and taking her away to wherever she was now.

His name was Silas Ravinere, and she knew everything about him. She could hear his thoughts, his alien presence on her mind. The green aura was repulsive, she desperately wanted to return to Starling's comforting brown.

The cage glowed red, and arms wrapped around her freezing arms. "Neo," Raven whispered heavily as she pulled her into a tight hug. Abruptly, she burst into tears as she tucked herself into her arms. "Is the man who ki- killed Starling awake?"

He was asleep, so Neo shook her head. "Starling is- is- is."

"I should have been there," Raven hissed. "I wasn't there for the tribe when they needed me, and Tai didn't even want to take me back. Guess he never really cared, because he already went and knocked Summer up. This is why the tribe always comes first." Red fury glowed in her eyes, but Neo couldn't stop crying.

"He died, Raven. What's going to happen now? What's going to happen to me?" Neo sobbed into her shirt.

Raven squeezed her tighter. "Neo, I want to murder the man who did this. I want to take you back, but I- I want you to be okay with it. Please tell me you're okay with it." A note of grief and desperation drifted into the last sentence as she pulled away and looked at Neo.

Neo wanted to say yes. She had to say yes.

Her body glowed green, and she whispered, "No."

"You can't- did he order-" Raven's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at her. "Please, Neo. I've lost father, Qrow, Yang, Tai, I can't lose you too. Can't you tell me his name, something, anything?"

She could only shake her head.

Raven closed her eyes and turned away, a red vortex opening up behind her. "I'm sorry, Neo. I'm sorry for everything we put you through. I hope that someday, you- you can for-"

"Raven," she choked out. "I-I don't wanna be alone. Can- can you still visit, sometimes? I think I can keep it a secret from- from him."

The leader of the Branwen tribe paused, nodded once, then disappeared into the portal and was gone.

* * *

Ruby stared dully at the freshly cut gravestone at the edge of Cliffside Forest.

 _I'm sorry, Ruby,_ Neo said as she squeezed her hand. _Crescent Rose… she was the best weapon you could have possibly had._

 _Her last name was Rose._ Ruby said, looking past the space between Summer's grave and Crescent's. _She was the best thing that I've made in my entire life. She- she was my baby, my friend, my- When I was alone at Signal, I would talk to her when I fought or cleaned her. I used to imagine that she looked like my mom, at heart, and that somehow she- she was still there. And now she's gone. Now they're both gone._

Neo knelt down next to her, and Ruby wept beneath the crystal clear sky for her mother, her creation, and everything that had been lost in between.

* * *

"Ruby, do you have a second?"

She nodded as Neo discretely slipped out of the living room, so Taiyang collapsed into an armchair. "Sure, what's up Dad?"

"Do you think I made a mistake, sending you to Beacon?"

Ruby blinked, startled by the question. There was a vulnerability on her dad's face that she didn't recognize, didn't understand. "Why are you asking?"

"When Ozpin brought you back home, he said that he wasn't sure when or how you would wake up from your coma," Taiyang said softly. "Really puts things in perspective, you know, seeing your daughter like that. It made me wonder if it was a mistake to trust him again."

"Again?"

Tai sighed, picking up the framed picture of Summer off of their coffee table and gently pressing his finger to the cool plastic. "Your mother was one of the most incredible women I've ever met. She was a brilliant leader, ruthlessly effective at stopping me and Qrow from goofing off and Qrow and Rae from fighting. She cared about you guys so much, but she believes that she was fighting to save the world. When Ozpin sent her on what was essentially a suicide mission, I begged them both to call it off, but nothing stopped. She went, and then she was gone."

The words caught in Ruby's chest, so she just petted Zwei as he walked up to her, putting him in her lap and cuddling him.

"I don't know how to help you, Ruby," her dad said. "I hate that, but it's true. I knew Beacon had mental health care, and I knew how much you wanted to go there, so I told Ozpin you could go. When Yang told me that you were getting worse and that you weren't getting real therapy, I wanted to pull you, but Ozpin told me he thought you wouldn't be safe on Patch anymore. I almost lost you too because of that. I almost lost you," he echoed faintly, tracing his finger across Summer's lips.

"I don't think you made a mistake." Taiyang looked up at Ruby, who was gently stroking Zwei's ears. "Even after everything, I don't know if I would go back and change it. I've made friends, despite doing everything I could to push them away. I never really had that at Signal."

"So you still want to return to Beacon this spring?" Ruby nodded, and he grinned at her. "That's my girl. Even after all of this, being a huntress is still your dream?"

"Yeah." Ruby snuggled deeper into her blanket, warmed by her pet and the crackling fire on the hearth. Her eyes started to droop, and she murmured, "I just know what I'm up against now, and I guess I have more to fight for too."

Tai set the photograph down on the table, then kissed Ruby on the forehead. "Take a nap, Rubes. Mom and I love you, and you're safe now. Everything is going to be okay."

 _Things are going to be alright._

* * *

 **[A/N] Loss takes time. It takes time to mend beautiful things that have been broken, and cope with the missing parts that will never return. All we can do is remember, and love the strangers around us with the same compassion and empathy we would our closest friend.**

 **Given that, we get another glimpse at Neo and Pyrrha's past, as well as Tukson's death – a canon death, but very different.**

 **Thank you to all two hundred followers of this story – your support means the absolute world to me.**

 **Since this is the beginning of the volume, I want to make this next part even better than the first. I don't ask often, but any and all constructive criticism you have of this fic will make your reading and my writing that much better. Please PM me or review with your thoughts – I'm always looking to improve.**

 **Thanks for reading. Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 11/19/17] Edited A/N for clarity**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 11/25/17**


	12. V2 - Checkmate

Volume Two, Chapter Two: Checkmate

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 11/26/17

* * *

The window steamed as Ruby pressed her nose to the side of the airship, breathing in the open world below her. Vale was cloaked in a viscous fog, snow-capped buildings looming in the dark morning sky. Yang was chattering excitedly with Ren and Nora, who happened to have been on their same transport. Ruby had thought to join in, but couldn't translate her thoughts to movement and watched her world instead.

 _This feels different than last time._

Neo leaned against the back wall of the airship, casually resting her hand on the hilt of her sword. Ruby flinched and tore her eyes away from the reflection, a vicious twinge rocking her heart as her hand reached behind her back and met nothing. _Ruby, you won't be alone this time._ _You'll have your team, and I'll be-_

She sighed, watching the metal floor grumble beneath her. _Neo, what are we?_

Pushing off from the wall, Neo slipped past Nora's hammer towards her. She hadn't realized her hands were shaking until Neo grabbed it and squeezed. Almost surprised, Ruby pulled back and she jerkily let her go, flickering almost on instinct. _We… I thought we were going to try being friends._

 _But how?_ Ruby shoved her hands into her skirt, shooting Yang a furtive look. _How can I be friends with anyone after what happened? Why would anyone want to be friends with me?_

 _Because you're amazing, Ruby._ Neo bit her lip, her eyes murky as her aura danced around her hands. _Pyrrha and Weiss want to be your friends, Ruby, and so do I. You want it too, no matter how much you say you don't deserve it._

 _But-_

 _I know you better than anyone, Ruby._ _You can't lie to me._

The airship broke away from Vale and started sailing over the Emerald Forest. She didn't know how to respond, so they just watched the landscape drift beneath them. A newscast droned in the background, and the low buzz of conversation surrounded them.

A shadow fell over the window, and Neo frowned as she pressed herself to the glass so she could see up. _Holy crap._

Ruby gasped as a massive airship came into view, fully decked out with dust turrets and multiple decks. "Wow, that's so _cool_!" she exclaimed, watching in rapture as a squadron of smaller ships dropped from the belly of the airship and flew by the transport.

"What's cool?" Yang walked over and peered out the window, then rolled her eyes. "At least you're obsessing over weapons again."

"Hey!"

"It's a ship, Ruby."

"But its an Atlesian battleship! They have seven decks and three hundred turrets and it's supposed to hold more than-"

"Like I said, a ship," Yang said, shaking her head slightly. "At least you're acting normal again." Yawning and stretching, she walked back over to Ren and Nora, who waved at her as she looked over. Ruby waved back before looking back at the battleship above.

 _I don't like this._

 _Huh?_

Neo stared at the aerial display, letting her finger rest against the vista. _When I was… with Roman, we spent a lot of time avoiding those soldiers. The commander, General Ironwood, he's a paranoid man. Really helpful, actually._

Ruby met her eyes, unsure of how to feel. She knew that Neo had been a criminal for a long time, but she had never thought about what that meant. Neo felt her uncertainty and sent her a defiant look.

 _Look, I'll show you all of that eventually, I promise. I'm not sorry what I've done, though. It's their fault for a lot of that, but I chose to fight for Roman. Are you going to have a problem with that?_ She flickered wildly for a moment before steadying herself.

Ruby gulped and shook her head. _Why was that helpful?_

 _Because whenever Ironwood's troops show up, there's something worth stealing behind them. The only question is why are they here?_

"You have arrived at Beacon Academy. Please exit the aircraft through the open doors."

Her thoughts were interrupted as students poured out of the airship and onto Beacon's landing pad. Ruby wandered after Yang, Ren, and Nora through the crowd as Neo pressed herself into the corner of the ship to avoid contact with anyone else. Gradually, the crowd thinned out as they made their way towards the school.

"Alright, now _where_ are Jaune and Pyrrha and Blake and Weiss?" Nora grumbled as she paced around Ren in circles. "They told us they would be here, but _clearly_ they aren't, and I left my pancake mix in the dorm room. If they don't come, me and Manghild are-"

"Nora."

"Yes?"

"I think they're right over there," Ren said as he pointed toward the girls and Jaune.

"I knew you guys would be on time~!"

"Blake!"

"Yang!" Blake threw her arms around her partner's neck as she pulled her into a tight hug, rocking back and forth as everybody stared at them. Weiss had an odd expression as she turned away and waved at Ren and Nora, who waved back.

"Hi Yang," she said quietly as Yang finally broke away from Blake and turned to her.

"Weiss! How are ya, Ice Queen?" she responded as she gave Weiss a quick hug.

"I, um- Fine, thank you."

Weiss turned away to find herself staring at Ruby, who was hovering a couple yards away from the rest of JNPRWBY. Her cloak rippled slightly in the breeze, the start of rips and tears perforating the ragged ends. Slowly, the rest of the two teams noticed her, and she hesitantly wavered between running to Yang and backing away.

A hand rested on her arm, and Neo nodded to her.

 _You don't have to be alone anymore._

Hesitantly, Ruby broke away from Neo and said, "Hi."

Smiling, Pyrrha strode forwards and embraced her. "Ruby, I'm so glad you're okay! We were all worried about you."

 _I promise._

* * *

"Alright, so how was everyone's holiday?" Yang asked as she sprawled out on her bed.

WBYR's dorm room was caught in a state of chaotic disarray. Weiss was busily moving clothes from her suitcase to their only set of drawers, which consequently became Weiss' set of drawers. Blake's bed was covered with unorganized books, so she had managed to get under the coffee table and was reading a book with a too big dust jacket Yang was fairly certain was one of her erotica novels in disguise. Ruby was sitting on the edge of her bed, spaced out and ignoring the world.

"Right, so I'll go first. My vacation was great, I kicked some Grimm butt and took care of Ruby. Who's next?"

Weiss muttered something as she tossed a handful of lingerie across the room, which landed on Blake's legs. Ruby's eyes drifted shut as she tied down the corner of her canopy, teetering on the edge of her bed precariously.

"Guys, you're not giving me much to work with here," Yang groaned as she rolled onto her back. "Weiss, what did you do?"

"I went home," Weiss responded stiffly as she slammed the lid of her second suitcase shut and opened her third.

"Oh, how was that? Lots of mansions and stuff, huh? What do you do there?"

"I don't have space for any of this, I'll just send it back," Weiss muttered as she got to her feet and pushed her suitcase to the side. "My father praised me for my position as team leader, and decided to send me to a leadership conference during the Winter Solstice to improve my skills."

Yang winced, and Blake said, "That sounds awful, I'm sorry."

"Why are you wearing your bow, Blake?"

Everyone whipped around to look at Ruby, who was staring at the slip of black cloth on Blake's forehead. Weiss stared at her partner as Blake hissed quietly. "You're… talking to us?"

Ruby blushed and looked away, fiddling with her skirt nervously. "When I woke up, I-"

"What gives you any right to ask that?"

Yang sat up as Blake set her book down, her bow flattening against her head. "Blake, calm down."

"No. Ruby, you ignored us for an _entire semester_. I don't know what you've been hiding from us, but you have no right to ask me that. I don't care if you've been in a coma or if you killed some criminal, that doesn't just mean you can expect us to be nice to you after being an asshole for a semester!"

"Blake, stop!" Yang shot her partner a look, which was met and held.

"Um, guys?"

Yang tore her gaze away from Blake's beautifully layered eyes – no, now was not the right moment to think about it (Not true, every moment was a good moment to think about it (Wait, what?)). "Huh? Oh, right. Chill out, okay? We just got back, so there's no reason to go at each other right now."

"Actually, she does kinda have a point," Weiss said as she looked up at Ruby. "Do you actually plan on paying any attention to us or school this semester?"

Ruby's face was downcast, staring at Weiss' bed below her. "I'm sorry, I know I was a bad teammate last semester-"

"That's putting it lightly," Blake muttered.

Yang narrowed her eyes at her. Was she trying to attack Ruby today? "Hey, watch what-"

Her partner spun around to face her directly. "Yang, can you take your rose colored glasses off for a damn second so we can have a real conversation?"

Biting back a retort, she said, "Fine."

"I mean, you didn't exactly make being your leader and partner easy," Weiss said with a bitter undertone, pushing her heels further under her dresser. "I did _all_ of our pairwork – every homework assignment, every essay, every fight. It would have been nice to get a little bit of help, maybe."

"She attacked me."

Silence.

Yang stared incredulously from her partner to her sister. "You attacked her?!"

"You ran away from me after I figured out you were a faunus!" Ruby burst out.

"So you used your semblance to chase me! With your weapon! What was I supposed to do, hug you?"

"I'm your teammate! You were running away from me!"

"Teammate? Bullshit, Black Rose!"

"What, so you just attacked me?"

"Yes, and you fought back!"

"Self-defense!"

"Like how you held me against the Vale Docks with your fucking pigsticker at my throat?"

"SHUT UP!" Weiss screeched, pointing Myrtenaster at the ceiling and firing a blank round of ice dust.

Yang ran over and grabbed Blake's shoulders, but her partner threw her off. "And you still haven't told me who Neo is. I don't see why I should trust a word you say when I told you my story and you lied to my face in return."

A crimson glint of rage shone in Ruby's eyes as she pushed off of her bed and onto the floor. "DON'T CALL CRESCENT A PIGSTICKER! SHE WASN'T A PIGSTICKER!"

Weiss was thrown into a wall as Ruby vanished in a blur of red petals. The room exploded into black smoke as she careened through Blake's shadow clones, setting the fire alarm off with a wild shriek. Furniture and books flew across the room as the two teammates fought, sending their dorm into utter chaos.

Yang's eyes glowed red as debris landed in her hair. "STOP IT!" Cocking Ember Cecila, she starting wildly slinging punches through the thick haze, trying in vain to land a hit on Blake or Ruby but ultimately failing to hit either.

"CHILDREN, STOP THIS NONSENSE IMMEDIATELY!"

Ruby, Yang, and Blake all froze in midair as Glynda pushed past team JNPR and knelt by Weiss' side. The leader groaned and said, "I'm fine, professor. Don't worry about me, I was just surprised."

Glynda nodded, then flicked her riding crop and turned to face the rest of WBYR. The room repaired itself around them as she said, "You are fighting. In your dorm room. On the first day of the term. Unless someone gives me an _excellent_ reason why this happened, all four of you – yes, that includes you, Ms. Schnee – will be doing detention for the rest of the month! Ms. Rose!"

Ruby burst into tears, and everyone else stared at her. "She called Crescent a- a- a-" she choked out, unable to finish the sentence.

"Pigsticker, Mrs. Goodwitch," Weiss offered hesitantly. "Her weapon, the one that was-"

Glynda's expression softened slightly, and she held her crop closer to her chest. "I see. One of the reasons Professor Ozpin invited you to come here was your unique talents in weaponry. I am… sorry for your loss, but that is no excuse for this behavior."

"Because I'm just his silver-eyed prodigy, right?" Ruby spat out as she wiped tears away from her eyes.

Glynda recoiled, her expression shifting from shock to horror. "You heard th- Ms. Belladonna, I assume you are responsible for this fight?"

"Maybe if she hadn't attacked me, revealed that I'm a faunus to everyone, lied to my face, and hurt my friends, we wouldn't be having this issue," Blake snarled back, struggling against the telekinesis futilely.

"And Ms. Xiao Long, I don't suppose you'd like to air all of your grievances too?"

"They got dirt in my hair!" Yang protested, and Glynda rolled her eyes as she dropped her.

"Belladonna, Rose, we are going to see Ozpin. Now." Before either girl had a chance to protest, Glynda had levitated them out of the dorm room, leaving Weiss and Yang on the floor in stunned disbelief.

"Um, guys?" Jaune poked his head into the room nervously. "What just happened?"

"Jaune, if you can't tell already, right now is a really bad time, so get lost before I punch your face out," Yang growled as she got to her feet, pushed him out of the doorway, and slammed the door in his face. Breathing heavily, she knelt by Weiss' side. "Are you okay, Weiss?"

Pulling herself up, Weiss winced and held her shoulder. "Yeah, I'll take a painkiller, it'll be fine. I just completely failed as a leader, didn't I?"

Yang shrugged. "Ya know, generally it's the leader's job to stop her team from blowing up the dorm room, but who's really counting?"

Weiss sighed, staring down at her dust covered dress. "God, I'm filthy."

"Don't call it that."

"Huh?"

"You're not filthy, you're just a little rocky road," Yang said, grinning fiercely as Weiss slapped her arm.

"I didn't miss your stupid ice cream puns, though!"

She smirked at her, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. "Betcha did, it wouldn't be a real Sundae without them." She laughed at her own joke, and Weiss couldn't help but giggle slightly alongside her.

"Hey, Yang?"

Yang wandered over to her bed and sat down, leaning back on her hands as she kicked her feet up on the overturned table. "What's up?"

"Do you… like Blake?"

She stared at Weiss as the heiress settled down on the bed across from her, wincing and coughing slightly as she did. "Huh?"

Weiss carefully rested her sword on the bed behind her as she said, "You see, before Beacon, I went to a combat school in Atlas, but I was never treated as a normal student. My father… expected me to watch the other kids, or otherwise he would have kept me home and gotten me a tutor. I notice things, I guess, and it's just the way you guys talk to each other, and that hug earlier- Oh, and also the dirty look you gave her when she started reading her secret book today, that was pretty obvious."

Yang's face turned bright red and her eyes widened. "You know about her erotica? But she didn't tell you-"

Weiss laughed. "Oh, please. Everyone who knows her knows she reads that stuff. She told you? That just makes it seem even more obvious."

"You notice stuff. Weiss Schnee, stuck up brat with a fancy sword, notices plain old teenage drama. That's great. That's just priceless." She shook her head in disbelief.

"And you're avoiding the question."

Yang blushed deeper and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about. She's my partner, and… Well, I guess she's my first real friend, but that doesn't mean that, so I seriously don't know why we're talking about this right now."

Weiss hummed quietly as she got to her feet. "You should ask her out. You two would be a good couple. I'm going to take a shower to get all of this absolute filth off of me." She slipped into the bathroom, leaving Yang behind in stunned silence.

"Weiss, I don't like Blake!" she yelled.

"Whatever you say..."

"But I don't, I think," Yang murmured to herself as she collapsed back on her bed.

Did she like Blake like that?

* * *

 _You're an idiot! Why would you attack her? What could possibly come from attacking her?_

 _I don't know, Neo!_ Ruby shot back as Neo jogged after her levitating form. _She insulted Crescent, what was I supposed to do?_

 _I'm just as sad about Crescent as you, and there was no reason for her to be such an asshole, but you can't react like that!_ _Do you want to talk to Ozpin again? Do you want to explain to him how you heard Glynda say that?_

 _No!_

"Ozpin!" Ruby and Blake were thrown onto the ground of Ozpin's office as Glynda stalked out of the elevator. "Ms. Rose and Ms. Belladona- Oh."

Ozpin, an older man with graying hair, Qrow, and the holograms of several men in suits watched Ruby as she clambered to her feet with mild disinterest. Ozpin sighed as he pushed his glasses up the brim of his nose. "Gentlemen, thank you for your time." He pressed a button on the desk, and the holograms disappeared. "Glynda, how can I help you?"

Before she had a chance to respond, Ruby yelled, "Uncle Qrow!" Running over, she threw her arms around him and squeezed as tight as she could.

Qrow hugged her back. "Hey there, kiddo."

"Did you miss me?"

"Nope," he said as he ruffled her hair lightly. Glynda flicked her riding crop, and Ruby flew off of her uncle and back towards Blake.

 _That other man is Ironwood,_ Neo said, a hint of nerves touching her voice.

 _Why are you so nervous?_

Neo glanced at Qrow as she pressed herself further into the corner of the room. _The last time I saw him, he was busy trying to murder Raven. Forgive me if I'm a little cautious of a man who tried to kill me every time he saw me._

"Glynda, you just interrupted a meeting with the council," Ironwood said tartly, leaning back against Ozpin's desk.

"And you haven't changed a bit, James," she snapped back before gesturing towards the two girls. "Ozpin, they were trying to kill each other."

"I see."

Ruby glanced over at Blake, who was trying to burn a hole through her with her gaze, then glanced away. Ozpin slowly walked around his desk and sat down, gesturing to the two chairs in front. She sat down in one, feeling intensely uncomfortable under the gaze of the adults in the room. Blake sat down next to her as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Oz, are you going to do what I told you?"

The headmaster glanced at Qrow and nodded. "Now, would you two please explain to me what happened that has Glynda so angry. Ms. Belladonna, you start."

"Ruby's been acting strange since the school year started," Blake said, sitting on the edge of her seat as if she was ready to flee on a moment's notice. "Two days before she went into her coma, I walked in on her training at four o'clock in the morning."

Ruby's eyes widened as a realization hit her. _Shit. Shit shit shit. Neo, is she about to talk about you?_

 _Wait, if Qrow is here, and- Did he track me to Roman?_ Neo said as dread settled in her stomach. _Qrow knows me. Qrow knows who I am. If she says my name, we're fucked, both of us._

"She knew I was a Faunus, and that was the last straw." Blake narrowed her eyes at Ruby. "I tried to get away, but she chased me down with Crescent Rose. We ended up fighting on the transport to Vale. She acted normal until I mentioned some name she kept saying in her dreams, then-"

"The name."

Neo panicked, and Ruby whispered, "Qrow, don't."

"What?" Blake seemed startled as Qrow drew his scythe. Ozpin got to his feet as Glynda came around the desk to stand next to him, and Ironwood drew his pistol.

"I said, what name was she saying in her dreams?" Qrow growled after slipping his flask back into his jacket.

 _Neo?_

Neo shut her eyes as she slid to sit on the metallic floor. _God, I'm so stupid. How did I not see this coming? Why didn't I think they would figure it out?_

Blake stared at the adults in fear. "She- The name Ruby would call out was Neo, I think."

"I see. Now," Ozpin gestured, and all hell broke loose.

Neo ducked past Qrow as he sprinted to the elevator with his scythe extended, drawing her sword as Glynda caught Ruby with her telekinesis. Ozpin stood and drew his cane creating a green barrier out of thin air that moved from the walls towards the center of the room. Neo flickered wildly as the green closed in around her, turning a deep shade of purple as it touched her skin. The room exploded into illusions of explosions and Grimm as Ironwood charged towards her, and Ruby's eyes widened as she drew her sword to sink it into his neck.

"Neo, no!"

Everyone froze as the room glowed green and Neo froze in midair. She screamed silently as Ironwood's gun slammed into her midriff, sending her rolling across the floor. Her illusion shattered, and suddenly she was visible to everyone in the room. Glynda cursed and levitated her into the air, and she glared at Ruby. _Fuck you. Fuck you for doing that._

 _I don't want you to die!_

Qrow held the tip of his scythe to her throat and laughed haughtily. "Well, if it isn't my dear father's little slave. I thought I was never going to see you again."

"Don't touch her!" Ruby screamed, trying in vain to break free of Glynda's semblance and failing.

"Who is that?" Blake asked wildly as she backed away from Ruby, pressing herself to the massive window at the back of Ozpin's office. "What's going on?"

"Qrow, you can remove your scythe." Ozpin swirled his cane around as he walked towards Neo. "Neopolitan, Qrow has explained your relationship to his father to me. I am afraid that I cannot allow any aura bonds in my school to go unregistered, and yours has gone on for far too long."

Neo glared up at him and spat.

Ironwood and Glynda made noises of outrage as Ozpin calmly wiped his face off. "I see. We could have done this the easy way, but I'm afraid the hard way may be far more suitable to these unique circumstances." Sighing, he rested his hand on her arm and pushed green aura into her body.

Ruby's aura sprang to life as a golden river of black, white, and red aura sprang to life between Ruby and Neo. Qrow cursed and backed away as Ozpin pushed his aura around the bond, then nodded. "It would seem you are correct, Qrow. Neopolitan, who your father originally bonded, is now bonded with Ruby."

Neo's mind was in turmoil as the aura projection faded away. Ruby send the best push of calm she could. _Please, I need to be able to talk to you. What do we do?_

 _I don't know! If Ozpin knows, then- Are they going to lock me up, or_ _kill me, or-_

"Can someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?" Blake yelled, and everyone else in the room turned to look at her.

Ozpin sighed and looked at Glynda. "Take the girl's weapon and let them down."

Neo's sword flew into Ironwood's grip as Neo and Ruby fell to the floor again. Scrambling to her feet, Ruby rushed to Neo's side and got between her and the rest of the adults.

"Ruby, get away from her," Qrow growled. "She's too dangerous-"

 _Ooh, that's rich coming from him,_ Neo muttered.

"How would you know, the only thing you've ever said around her is how she should be dead!" Ruby exclaimed as she helped her to her feet.

"You've got to be kidding me." Qrow took another swig from his flask. "She's a serial killer!"

 _Like he's not._

"Like you never killed for Starling either," she shot back.

Qrow flinched, then narrowed her eyes at her. "That's different, and I'm not talking to Ruby right now, am I?"

"The only difference between you two is that Neo didn't have a choice when she killed people," Ruby snapped back at him.

"Alright, that's it." The scythe gouged into the ground in front of them, gears whirring as it locked into place. "Get away from my niece!"

"Enough." Glynda pulled the scythe out of Qrow's grip and shot him a blistering glare. "Qrow, clearly your year in the Grimmlands has addled your judgment. Neither Ms. Rose nor Neopolitan pose an immediate threat to us. Now, Oz, were you going to explain for Ms. Belladonna's sake what is happening?"

Ozpin sighed as he retracted his cane and turned to Blake, who was somewhere between queasy and terrified. "Ms. Belladonna, I apologize for your involvement in this matter. However, we cannot afford to let this become widely known, and you know far too much to leave now. Fortunately, you have a great deal of experience regarding secrets, so I am sure you will be fine."

"What do you mean?" Blake said. "What am I involved in?"

"It would appear that when Ruby killed Roman Torchwick, she became… attached to Neopolitan. Their auras are connected through an extremely illegal act performed by a man who is now dead named Starling Branwen."

"Wait, Yang's good-for-nothing mom?"

 _Don't talk about Raven like that!_

"Don't talk about Raven like that!" Qrow glared at Neo, then turned to Blake.

"Yeah, my father's semblance was a nasty one. Never used it for most of his life, at least not until he created that thing."

"Qrow, that's enough," Ironwood barked, and Ozpin looked at him gratefully.

"Thank you, James. Ruby, would you care to explain how a registered criminal has been living inside of an institution for children for the past several months?"

"No."

 _Right back in therapy, huh?_ Neo shook her head and glared at Oz balefully as Ruby crossed her arms.

"Why don't we let Neo explain it herself?" Glynda asked, and Neo flinched before flipping her off. _Tell them._

 _Are you sure? It took you-_

 _Just get it over with._

"She's mute. One of them cut her tongue out."

"Oh my." Glynda backed up to the wall as Neo let her mouth fall open, her eyes shifting colors.

Ozpin sighed and massaged his temples as he said, "Ruby, please make thi-"

"No!" Neo grabbed her arm to try and calm her down, but she shook her off. "Why should I trust you? You forced me to go to 'therapy' with you, where all you did was interrogate me! You forced me to work on my 'dual semblance' for hours, even though you only saw Neo heal me once. Besides-" Ruby pushed her hair out of her face. "The only reason I'm even here is my silver eyes, right?"

Qrow turned towards Ozpin and leaned on his desk. " _You_ were the one giving her therapy. You have got to be kidding me."

"Taiyang and I-"

"Bullshit, we both know Tai hates your guts for what you did to me and Raven." Qrow pushed away from the desk and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Go on."

Ozpin paused for a moment, taking another sip of coffee. "Miss Rose, when I discussed my reasons for admitting you to this academy, I was not lying to you. Your entire family has been exemplary hunters and huntresses – Team STRQ has the most accolades of any team in Beacon history. So, my admitting you was not without adequate reason. I am sorry, however, for the situation we find ourselves in now."

Neo laughed, and everyone turned to stare at her except Ruby. _Right, so after all of this now he's sorry. This is absurd. This entire situation is absurd._

"I have made more mistakes than every man, woman, and child on this planet, and I do not exaggerate when I say that," Ozpin said heavily. "The honest truth is that I knew of your bond from the moment you stepped into my office for our first session. I thought I was right in my inaction, but I now believe that I have taken the greater of two evils."

The office fell silent as Ruby stared at him with stunned disbelief. "You're telling me that you knew about Neo _this entire time_ and you did _nothing."_

"Tell me, when you were a child, what was your favorite fairytale? Miss Belladonna, you may answer as well."

Glynda, Ironwood, and Qrow all tried to talk at the same time, but it was James that managed to make his voice heard. "Oz, you can't seriously be considering filling them in!"

Blake shook her head wildly. "Filling us in on what? If this was supposed to explain things to me, it's not working!" she said, her voice rising higher with every word.

Qrow looked at her with pity, then back to Ozpin. "Letting her stay was a mistake. You know this is going to put Amber in even more danger, right?"

"I'm afraid that is a risk we must take."

Ruby looked to Neo, who was swaying next to her. _Do you know what he's talking about?_

 _No clue._

"Ozpin, give it to them straight." Glynda's harsh expression wavered slightly, but she held it as she looked to Blake. "Deception is only going to hurt us at this point."

Ozpin looked between the three other adults and nodded. "I believe there may be no other way. Tell me, Ms. Rose, have you ever heard the tale of the four maidens?"

* * *

 **[A/N] I hope all of my American readers (about three-fifths of you guys) had a lovely Thanksgiving! I was hoping to get more time to write than I did, hence this chapter was a day late.**

 **Important clarifying note – the first canon fact directly conflicting with my story has been revealed. In the interest of avoiding spoilers, Ozpin did a certain action to Qrow and Raven that the twins are split over. This action was never performed in this story.**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading. I am grateful this Thanksgiving that I get to share my work with so many people, and I strive to make it as excellent as possible for everyone.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 12/2/17**


	13. V2 - Beauty and the Burden

Volume Two, Chapter Three: Beauty and the Burden

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 12/2/17

* * *

Ruby stared at Ozpin. "The four maidens? That's a fairy tale."

"But what if I told you it wasn't?" Ozpin said quietly, pressing his hands to his cane as he met her eyes. "Also, I don't believe I gave you permission to leave, Miss Belladonna."

Blake's form disappeared into a puff of smoke as Glynda held her in place by the elevator with her riding crop. "Let me go!" she yelled as Neo stared at her wide-eyed.

 _Ruby, no matter what we do Ozpin isn't going to let us go. We have to play this right, or else we're screwed._

"Blake."

" _What is this?_ I came to Beacon because I wanted to get _away_ from all of the lies and bullshit!" Blake hissed at the headmaster, trying to break free.

"Do you remember what I told you in your interview?" Ozpin said with a heavy sigh as he rose to his feet, chair sliding back as he pushed back against his desk.

"I was-"

"I told you that you would be allowed into Beacon on one condition – if you ran again, you would no longer be a student at my academy."

Blake went limp in Glynda's hold, letting her knees sink to the floor. Ruby gaped at Blake, at a loss for words. Finally, she whispered, "That night… the night you ran away from me- Was that supposed to be the last time you ever saw us?"

"I didn't have a choice, okay! If they knew- It's bad enough that _you_ know, but if they-"

"There is always a choice, Miss Belladonna. I offered you my trust, and you broke it." Ozpin pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he walked around the desk. "That choice has led you here, and now you no longer have the option of running away."

Ruby wanted to disappear, to be anywhere but Ozpin's office, away from… whatever was happening. _Neo, he's scaring me. He- he's Professor Ozpin, he's supposed to protect us, he's- right?_

Qrow growled and Ironwood flinched as Neo hugged her, shaking her head into her head. _I don't know. I don't know. This is fucked up. We fucked up, we should have just let her run._

 _And leave Yang?_

 _I don't know._

"And what if I refuse?" Blake spat back. "What if I want to leave here?"

Ozpin narrowed his eyes, just as the clock tower rang three o'clock. The deep vibrations pulsed through the tower, rising and sinking through the tension in the room. "That, I am afraid, is unacceptable."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What it means," Ironwood said as he walked between Blake and the elevator, "is that you know too much."

Blake bit her lip as her ears curled up, falling silent as Qrow groaned and took a deep swig from his flask. "Oz, you screwed it up again. I said you were going to screw it up again, and you did."

"Qrow, you know that I-"

"No," he growled, kicking the desk and throwing his flask to the ground. "I left for one year, Oz. One _goddamn_ year, and I come back to this! That thing is in my niece's head, Amber is half dead, and James is turning this school into a military base! Give it to them straight, because clearly, you thought it was a good idea to tell them."

Ozpin gave Qrow a long stare. Ruby gulped – his expression was something barely measurably human, ancient beyond what she could understand. "Professor, who is Amber?" she asked as Glynda made a strangled noise and Ironwood massaged his temples with his palm.

"Amber is- was-" Glynda sniffed and James strode across the room to embrace her as Ozpin addressed Ruby, Blake, and Neo heavily. "Amber was a young woman who came into a great deal of power too early in her life. We prepared her the best we could, but she had been in Mistral visiting with Leo Lionheart, the headmaster of the academy there. On the way back, she was attacked by a team of members of an unknown organization."

"You sent her _without guards_ , Oz," Qrow said, pounding his foot against the wall.

"Not in front of the children, Q-"

"You sent Amber across two continents without a single damn guard!"

Ozpin bowed his head. "I told Leo to send guards with her. I am not omnipresent. I cannot save every life, or be everywhere."

"So she's dead," Blake deadpanned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Ruby didn't know what was the most surprising – watching her uncle and her headmaster fight, seeing Glynda break down into tears, or what Ozpin said next:

"Amber was the Fall Maiden. She held immense magical powers, and now more than half of it has been lost to a gathering darkness preparing to destroy the world. The story of the maidens is true. Magic is real, and I myself am magical."

Silence, aside from Glynda struggling to compose herself.

Neo shifted in Ruby's embrace. _That's insane. This is insane. Why the fuck is that real?  
_

 _You actually think he's telling the truth?_

 _You're in my head. Why wouldn't I believe someone when they tell me magic is real?_

 _I don't understand this at all._

 _Neither do I, but we don't have any choice but to roll with it._ _I have an idea, can we try it?_

 _Yes, what?_

 _Let me speak through you._ In a jumbled mess of thoughts, Ruby understood what Neo meant and shot her acknowledgment back.

"You're lying," Blake said uncertainly, looking to Ozpin.

He shook his head, looking down to the but of his cane. "This conversation should not have escalated. Neopolitan was not an immediate threat, we could have taken care of her at a later time. It is unfair to have burdened you three with this knowledge. I should not have let this get out of hand."

"Prove it."

Ruby's heart burned warm as she felt Neo mouth the words as she said them, letting her head hang over her shoulder. _You're welcome._

"Neopolitan-"

"Neo," she said through Ruby, eyes shifting as she held Ozpin's gaze defiantly. "If you expect me and Ruby to believe a single fucking thing you say after everything you've done to us, prove it."

Qrow bit something back as Ozpin said, "Neo, my apologies. I understand that you have had a rather turbulent past, and what Starling and Raven Br-"

"Don't say shit about Raven," Neo retorted as Ruby held her tighter. "Maybe if you actually tell us something straight instead of avoiding our questions, this wouldn't be a problem. Now, _prove it._ "

Ozpin hesitated for a moment, then said, "I understand that your semblance is physical illusions, no?"

"That's right," she responded, her form shifting to look like Ruby for a moment.

"Please cover the windows so no one can see in."

Neo nodded, and the room was plunged into darkness aside from a handful of bobbing multicolored lights drifting through the air. Ruby shivered – the scene was too close to the Emerald Forest, reminded her too much of Harkan, of Cardin, of-

 _Not right now._

 _But-_

 _Focus Ruby._

Ozpin looked from one adult to another, then closed his eyes. His body glowed a brilliant green as he slowly rose into the air, energy spiraling around his body into a shielding bubble. Staring down at the three awestruck children, he said in a displaced voice, "I believe this should do."

Ruby pulled away from Neo, unable to tear her eyes away from the light show above her. Ozpin's feet touched the ground, and the illusions around the room vanished with a single hand gesture. The fading afternoon light seemed hesitant to come back like a child called away for dinner. Shadows ate at the horizon.

"How?" Blake eventually made out, barely noticing that Glynda had deposited her onto the cold metal floor.

"I am the old man from the maiden story. Using my semblance and my magic together, I gifted four young women with the ability to harness the seasons and bend them to their will. That was the final time I ever used my semblance," Ozpin said as the light faded around him.

Blake stared at him for a moment. "You're dead serious, aren't you?" she laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. "So Professor Ozpin is actually an immortal wizard who's single-handedly responsible for the creation a fairy tale."

"Yeah, it's a lot to take in, but pretty much," Qrow said. "Trust me, it gets worse."

Ruby was pretty sure her brain had stopped working properly. "Wha-"

 _Just let me talk._ Neo pulled her hair back and got to her feet. "What does this have to do with me and Ruby?"

Ozpin sighed again, walking past Qrow and back to his chair swinging his cane around as he did so. "I am not blind, nor am I so lost in ideals that I fail to notice the actions of those around me. I knew from the instant both of you entered my office, and I suspected standing by your hospital bed. Neopolitan, the advice I gave Miss Rose then was for you just as much as it was for her. You have lived a life I would wish on no one, and I will not punish you for any action you have taken prior to coming under my watch."

Neo blinked at him, at a complete loss for words.

"You're kidding me. Oz, did you not listen to anything I told you about my family?" Qrow slammed his fist against the wall. "About her?!"

"Qrow, please excuse yourself," Ironwood said coolly, resting his free hand on his gun. "Unless, of course, you want your niece to learn more about you than she wants to."

Qrow narrowed his eyes at Neo before softening his gaze as he looked at Ruby. "Rubes… You weren't supposed to be here. You were never supposed to be like we were." He jabbed at the elevator button before slipping into the compartment. "I need a drink."

"Wait, so you're not going to- to kill Neo, or hurt her, or-" Ruby trailed over as Ozpin shook his head.

"Miss Rose, Neopolitan, you are incredibly fortunate. Aura Bonds have been illegal for centuries, an ancient law enforced in all four kingdoms by the death penalty," he said as he carefully reorganized the papers Qrow had sent flying. "I am afraid that if your existence comes to the attention of any council member outside of this room, I will be forced to kill you myself. However, I will not bring this down on two who I believe to be innocent."

Ruby's head spun as she backed away from Ozpin, stunned at how casually he had just pronounced and waived her life. _The death sentence… They would kill us just for existing._

Neo seemed just as shaken as she was. _What is he? How can he talk about this so casually?_

"What's an Aura Bond?" Blake asked.

"An unbreakable bond between a being with aura and one without. By creating the bond, the aura is shared equally between the two entities allowing their thoughts and minds to intermingle. However, the original holder of the aura can manipulate and control the bonded, meaning that with a malicious holder a bond can become akin to slavery, or worse. Moreover, the bond will not simply end once the holder dies – rather, it transfers either to whoever killed the holder or the last person the holder was thinking of. The only way to break a bond is to kill the bonded."

"How do you know all of that?"

"Because my semblance is the reason the ban exists in the first place."

A cold pallor swept through Ruby's body as what he said began to sink in. She and Neo exchanged a glance, then slowly started to back away from Ozpin's desk. "You mean that you've done _this_ to other people?"

Ozpin lowed his head in acknowledgment, peering out from over top his glasses. "It has been a long time, longer than you might think, since I have, but yes. I was foolish in my youth, and I sought to fix all of the problems in the world. Two times, I tried to use my semblance to stop an evil long forgotten, yet both times the problem only became worse. After the second, I had gone too far."

"Two times? You did this to all four maidens and someone else?" Ruby exclaimed as her eyes flashed red. Neo caught the back of her hood to stop her from launching herself at him.

"My semblance is not the same as Starling's. He had the power to bind himself to another, whereas I have the power to bind another person to a natural force or an animal." Ozpin's eyes glowed green as he said, "We are many, but we are only one aura. You are two auras, yet you are only two. Be grateful, at least, for that much. To live eternally is a curse, forced upon a new body and soul each time the old dies." The green vanished just as fast as it had appeared, and he slumped back in his seat. "I am sorry, truly. You are all children, but you must understand the magnitude of this situation."

There was a thick tension in the room. Slowly, Ruby began to realize the implications of what they had just been told. "Professor Ozpin… what are we going to tell Yang and Weiss?"

"You won't," Ironwood said as he broke away from Glynda and faced them. "Your teammates will never know about this – nobody is allowed to know unless Qrow or one of us three tells them."

"Knowledge is power, but knowledge is also a burden," Ozpin said as he got out of his chair and turned to face the window. "You are too young to carry it, but you are also too young to hold an Aura Bond, both of you. Miss Belladonna, holding your thoughts inside right now will only hurt you."

Blake's amber eyes were cast downwards. "I'm trapped again, aren't I?"

"Miss Belladonna, I have offered you a chance for redemption once," Ozpin said coolly. "I am not one to extend that offer a second time so quickly, but these… special circumstances have forced my hand. Do not mistake me – if you do not learn how to work with others, if you refuse to demonstrate resilience towards your goal, if you attempt to cross me or divulge any of this information outside of this room, you will not be attending this school or worse."

"So this is all just one big threat?" she spat, throwing up her arms. "The only reason you had me hear that was so you could control me. What now? What are you going to force me to do, bend over for you?"

"Miss Belladonna, that langu-"

"Glynda, relax," Ozpin said as Glynda's eyes flashed. "I see potential in you, the potential for good perhaps stronger than many of the others at this school. I know you devoted your entire winter break to the Lupa Protests – admirable that you continue to advocate for faunus rights even after leaving the White Fang."

"Shut up! Tukson has nothing to do with this!"

"Who's Tukson?" Ruby asked.

Blake spun to face her, and her expression softened slightly. "He was… a former associate, who was murdered in cold blood by a soldier over winter break. How could you not have know about the protests?"

"Uh… Coma? I don't know, the news seemed busy covering Grimm attacks when I woke up."

Blake's face darkened resentfully, and she turned away.

"This will not be the last time we speak of this," said Ozpin. "For now, however, you three must learn to be civil. Miss Belladonna and Miss Rose, you will have detention cleaning chalkboards together – without super speed, might I add – for the next five days for destroying your dorm room and fighting. In addition, Team WBYR will have a team detention one night a week for the rest of the month. Is that understood?"

Ruby's stomach sank, and her head drooped. _A whole week?_

"You're going to make me be with both of them, alone, every day for a week? Are you trying to kill me?" Blake shot back.

 _I wish._

 _Shut up, that's not helpful._

"I will oversee. Nobody else is going to die under my watch," Glynda muttered stiffly.

"Now, Neopolitan. I will not have you running around my school invisible and unchecked anymore."

 _Can you talk for me again?_

 _Yeah._

"I won't be separated from Ruby again," Neo said as she stepped forwards. "The last time that happened, she nearly died. I won't do it."

"Of course," Ozpin responded, "which is why you'll be attending Beacon as a transfer student this semester."

Neo stared at him for a while.

"Ne-"

"I'm twenty-three and I've been training my entire fucking life! I'm not going to attend your twisted little murder academy, you- Neo, I'm not going to say that to him!"

 _Why not?_

 _He's still the headmaster._

 _You're no fun._

 _Neo, does this seem like a good time for fun?_

 _It's always a good time for fun!_

 _Oh come on, that's bullshit._

"Girls," Glynda snapped.

Neo looked back at Professor Ozpin, who was waiting with a semi-interested expression on his face. "I'm not sure I want to know. Now, Neo, you have two choices. Either you can be placed with the remaining two members of team CRDL-"

"Ooh, how long do I get to torture them before-"

"Okay, so you'll be staying with a three-person team coming to Beacon for the Vytal Festival. I believe the members are Emerald Silver, Mercury Blaise, and Dane Lilac. We'll also need an excuse for why you're so close to Ruby… Did Summer have any siblings? She did, didn't she..."

Ruby frowned. _Neo, did you ever find anything about cousins?_

 _Why are you asking me?_

 _Because I'm don't know, and you have all of my memories too?_

"Ruby visited second cousins once, while Yang was away," Neo said. "She thinks maybe she was five, Summer was still alive so they went while the Xiao Longs stayed behind. I could be one of them."

 _Wait, so would your last name be Rose?_

 _Yeah, why? Is that a problem?_

Ruby fought the weird warm fuzzy feeling she had been feeling down with her aura, shoving down underneath the silver ball that had slowly started to reform. She didn't need to think about anything like that right now!

"Good, now can you do disguises with you semblance?" Ozpin asked, and Neo grinned.

Ruby blinked, and she was looking back at a mirror copy of herself. Neo smirked, then did a spot on impression of her "I just found an amazing new weapon made out of cookies" face.

"Creepy..." she whispered when Neo winked at her.

"Impressive, but perhaps something less off-putting?"

 _Nurse?_

 _Oh my god._

"Maybe a little bit less cleavage."

 _Soldier?_

 _Neo, stooop…_

"Neo, you will be a student, so dress like it."

 _Fine._ Neo concentrated for a moment, then her appearance shifted. Long violet hair spilled down her back, and she wore a combat skirt similar to Ruby's, only mostly silver and white with purple highlights. Her eyes were like Yang's, but deep rather than her ephemeral lilac. _Violet Rose. Can I be done now?_

Ruby felt the air leave her chest, too entranced by Neo in front of her. Cascading hair looked bad ass on her sister, sure, but on Neo it just looked downright gorgeous. She had made herself slightly taller so they were the exact same height, and her usual smirk and stare seemed less malicious than… something. "Hi, Violet."

 _What's that supposed to mean?_

 _What's what supposed to mean?_

 _That._

 _What's that?_

 _What?_

 _Exactly!_

Ozpin nodded. "That will do. Neo, if you would allow me, I can imbue a little bit of magic onto you so you can easily access that illusion and also to prevent it from shattering on touch. Will you allow me to do that?"

She thought about it for a moment, then nodded. Ozpin flicked his finger, and Neo glowed green for a second.

"So, what are you going to make us do now?" Blake asked.

Sighing, the headmaster looked at Glynda and James. "I am afraid we were unprepared for this moment, although I wonder if anyone ever is when their worlds are turned upside down. For now, though, you may go into Vale for the rest of the day – I am sure you will all want time to think, and it wouldn't do for your teammates to be put in a bad spot immediately. You are dismissed – do not discuss what you have just learned outside of this room."

Blake dashed to the elevator as Ruby and Neo stayed back. She didn't know what to think, but Neo took her hand and sent as much warmth as she could muster into her. _It'll be okay. He doesn't want to kill us, we can figure out what to do after this. We're going to be okay._

"Miss R- Ruby?"

The elevator dinged and the door slid open. Neo stepped in and stuck her hand out to hold it as Ruby looked at Glynda. "What?"

Shaking her head clear, the deputy headmaster said, "I hope you remember that my door is always open to students, should you feel the need to come."

Ruby contemplated that for a moment, then turned and let the elevator door close behind her. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind."

The office pulled away behind them.

* * *

"Hiya!"

Metal clashing. Heart racing. Her scroll was playing good music for once, not the trashy pop she had loved as a twelve-year-old. This was exactly where Pyrrha wanted to be, and she loved it.

Sidestep. Backslash. Dodge left, then right. Push Jaune just a little, then ran Akouo into his chest.

Jaune yelled as he went flying backward, skittering to a halt right by the edge of the rooftop. Gulping, he looked back and said, "Hey, I thought we said no semblance!"

She laughed, nearly giddy on her adrenaline rush. "Just having a bit of fun, Jaune!"

"You could have killed me!"

"Nope!" In a moment of inspiration, she lifted him up by his armor and dangled him out over the edge. "See! I got you."

"Pyrr- woah!"

Tapping into her power she so rarely fully used, she sent her partner soaring around the rooftop. Jaune flailed wildly as his armor spun around through the sky. "Let me down!"

"Pretend like you're flying!" she yelled back.

"Fine!" Jaune stuck his arms out in front of him, and she sent him in a wide circle around her head. "Hey, this is actually pretty cool! Look at me, I'm flying~!"

"Alright, now do a cool landing pose!"

He kept one fist stuck in the air she slowly brought him back down to earth, sending vibrations through the metal and concrete roof to make a poof of dust as he hit the roof. Crossing his arms, he grinned and said, "And the great Jaune is back to the roof."

"Jaune, your combat looked so much better!" Pyrrha exclaimed, running to his side as he started coughing in the dust cloud.

"Yeah, well it was going well until you tried to kill me!"

"Relax, I would die before I let someone kill you," she said, before realizing what she had jut said. "By which I mean, I would-"

"Pyr." Jaune's blue eyes carried an intensity she could never understand as he wrung his hands together. "Do you think I'm getting better?"

She smiled at him. "Jaune, of course you're getting better! I would have had you flat on the ground in seconds two months ago, but I had to use my semblance for a second there."

"Thank you," he smiled back, scratching the back of his neck. "I mean, for everything. I thought I was going to have to spend winter break in a Vale hotel room, but I got to go back to Mistral with you instead."

"Of course I invited you home with me, you're my partner, my teammate!" Pyrrha exclaimed as the music changed.

Jaune groaned and leaned back over-dramatically. "Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me."

"What?"

"Destiny Blue? Really?" He waved at the forest backdrop the roof looked out over. "You could have gotten any music in the world, and you chose this?!"

"It's good music!" she protested, holding back a fit of giggles.

"My sisters listen to this! My _mom_ listens to this stuff!"

Now, she couldn't hold back the laughter as Jaune closed his eyes and started swaying side to side, holding his arm out in front of him as he mouthed the lyrics. "Are you dancing to it? I thought that you just hated this stuff."

"Hey, when you have six sisters sometimes you just don't have a choice! I'd like to see you do it, Ms. Destiny."

"Maybe I will," she said as she walked forwards and grabbed Jaune's shoulders.

"Wow, ok, I did not expect you to actually do it," he said as he tensed for a moment, then slipped into the leading position. It took just a moment to slip into the same comfortable rhythm of combat they had been practicing for months, gracefully spiraling along the rooftop. "Pyr, when did you learn to dance?"

"Crazy rich parents, remember? They made me go to all sorts of fancy balls," she said as she pulled him closer to her.

He made a sharp intake of breath, bringing their faces closer together than before. Metal hit metal as he said, "You know, considering how Yang still sometimes calls me Vomit Boy, I never thought I would like flying that much."

"What did it feel like?"

Jaune laughed breathlessly. "It's like getting launched off into the Emerald Forest, only you know there's going to be someone there to catch you. I didn't know how much I liked it until I was halfway to the ground."

"That amazing, huh?" she whispered as the bridge of the song started.

"I would do it again, I th-"

Pyrrha leaned into Jaune and gently kissed him. After a moment, Jaune relaxed, holding her up as they swayed to the fading note of the songs, breaking away as it faded into silence. They rocked with the wind, soaring in the breeze.

"Was it just like that?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said as he pressed his forehead to hers. "I think it was."

The sun glittered down on them, holding each other before the world below.

* * *

The stuffed bear was old, older than she was, probably. A little tear on the left ear, a missing eye, that bit of fluff poking out of a hand-sewn seam. Somehow it had gotten separated from the pile, so she had scooped it up from the freezing cement and scooped it onto the pile of flowers and gifts, trinkets and cards flowing with calligraphic chicken scratch.

Blake sighed as she stared at the picture of Tukson looming over the memorial to his life. The flickering candles and notes around him were overwhelming, and it made her sad. _Most of these faunus will never even know how much he fought for us, for our freedom, for everything the White Fang was supposed to stand for._

Sometimes Adam used to let her sit in on council meetings, back when he liked to show her everything. She _hated_ his declarations that she was his 'little kitty cat,' but she couldn't stand not knowing what was being planned next in the fight. Tukson had always been the voice of reason for both sides, neither a pacifist nor extreme – in fact, Blake had usually found herself in agreement with him over Adam.

It was a cruel twist of fate, for the man who symbolized everything she had admired about the White Fang to become a symbol of everything she hated about humans.

He had talked to her once, of leaving. Had he gotten that choice? Was the bookstore the papers spoke of just a front or had he really loved literature? How could she have been so stupid, to think that Beacon could ever have been any different?

She had never escaped. She had just moved to a different trap.

 _I wish I could go home._

"Did you know him?"

Blake's ears flattened, and she turned to see a boy with sandy hair and a raised eyebrow. A tail waved in the cold air by his bare chest. "Sorry, you scared me. What did you say?"

He pointed his tail at the picture. "Tuskon Lupa, did you know him?"

"Yeah, kinda," she sighed, narrowing an eye at his abs. A bit too out there for her, definitely. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Dunno, I've just seen you here every day and I was curious. The name's Sun, by the way. Sun Wukong."

"Aren't you a bit cold wearing just a shirt in January?" Blake asked. "Also, doesn't that mean that _you_ were here every day too?"

Sun suddenly looked shifty as he swayed from one foot to the other. "Well, I came to pay my respects the first time, and then I noticed you… Anyways, I'm Vacuan, ya know? Hot days, cold nights, I don't notice it anymore."

Blake facepalmed, muttering, "Don't you think a memorial isn't the greatest place to ask a girl out?"

"I don't know, why don't I buy you coffee and we can talk about it?" Blake stared at his cheeky grin from between her fingers and groaned. "Besides, you look like you could use someone to talk to."

Blake sighed heavily; she hated it when people like him were right about something. "You know what, sure. Just don't expect anything."

"Yes," he whispered to himself, fist-pumping enthusiastically before realizing she was still watching. "Oh, right, um, let's go?"

 _I can't believe I'm actually doing this,_ Blake thought as she stuck her hands back into the pockets of her white coat and followed him away from the memorial.

"So, mysterious cat girl, what's your name?" Sun asked as he leaned his head back on his clasped hands.

Blake pushed down the moment of discomfort and panic as memories of Adam resurfaced. "It's Blake Belladonna, and is 'mysterious catgirl' really the best thing you can come up with after thinking about this for weeks?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed, giving her a thumbs up.

"Right," she rolled her eyes before looking at the remnant Winter Solstice decorations, already staged to be taken down.

"So, why are you in Vale?" he ventured after picking up, Blake hoped, on her unrelenting scorn for his existence.

 _Better question – why am I still in Vale?_

"Well, I'm a student at Beacon academy-"

"Oh, you're at Beacon, that's great!" Sun patted a pair of brown weapons at his side and said, "I'm from Shade, and Team SSSN is totally the coolest all-male team on Remnant. We're here for the semester-"

"Okay, I'm going to need you to define great for me," Blake muttered.

"-and we're going to win the Vital Festival, no competition!" Sun exclaimed. So he was oblivious to what she said. Wonderful. "What's your team like?"

How was she supposed to answer that now? "Um, well… I'm on Team WBYR, and-"

"Wait, what?" He interrupted as he pushed the door to Grimmbucks open with his shoulder.

"Yeah, we didn't know what umber was either, we had to look it up. Apparently, it's some sort of clay." She stopped talking for long enough to order, then sat down at a table in the corner by a styrofoam winter display. "Let's see, our leader is Weiss Schnee-"

"Hold up." Sun laughed, which slowly died down as he saw the expression on her face. "You're telling me that you, a cat faunus, are on a team led by the heiress to the SDC?"

"Yup, pretty much." Blake bit her lip as she thought about her team leader. "Let's see- she's actually really considerate, once you get to know her. I think she really wants the best for all of us."

"Excuse me?" a large woman wearing an apron said as she came over to the table

"Ooh, do you have my grande latte with peppermint spice and extra sugar?" Sun asked eagerly as Blake shook her head before leaning it against her hand.

"Um, no sir, I'm sorry, but I actually have to ask you to leave the premises."

The warm and homey atmosphere of the coffee shop snapped cold in an instant as Blake sat straight up in her seat. "Excuse me?"

"Well," the woman said as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "I really am sorry, but we do have a 'No Faunus' sign and all. I mean, we don't usually enforce it, at least when it isn't obvious, but the manager said she can't have a monkey tail and all waving around our display. I'm so sorry, but you two understand, don't you?"

"What do you mean, I understand? Why the hell-" Sun started to say angrily before Blake held a hand up to cut him off.

"Sun, please shut up. You _will_ give us a refund," Blake hissed, sliding the blade of Gambol Shroud out of its holster slightly.

"Of course, ma'am, wouldn't dream of doing anything differently!" the woman exclaimed far too fast to be natural, hurrying as fast as she could and knocking a chair aside to reach the cash register. "Are you going to rob us? Should I give you all of it?"

Blake looked at the receipt and cleared her throat. "I believe you owe my friend nine lien and thirty-six cents, _exactly_."

"Right, right, of course." She quickly pulled out the money and pushed it onto the counter too fast, making some of it spill out onto the floor. "Oh, I am _so_ sorry. Please leave fast, my manager is already annoyed that I keep taking the cream packets home."

Blake hissed under her breath again as she bent down and picked up the fallen cards. Sun walked to the door and yanked it open, and he stalked out after Blake and slammed it behind him.

"Okay, what the hell was that?!" he yelled at her, only to wilt under her furious gaze.

"You didn't check the door to see if there was a 'No Faunus' sign?" Blake shouted back, shoving the lien into her pocket and starting to walk away.

"Wait, I saw it but I didn't think it mattered. I mean, what kind of assholes actually do that?" He asked, throwing his arms out.

"Oh, that's right. Of course you didn't check, you're from Vacuo," Blake snapped back at him as he stopped walking. _Of all of the stupid fucking things I didn't want to get into right now…_

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's _Vacuo_ , Sun."

"Well, nobody I've ever met in Vacuo has even slightly cared about this bullshit!" Sun said as he resituated his jacket on his shoulders.

"That's because nobody in Vacuo gives a shit about anything!" Blake exclaimed. "What happens in Vacuo stays in Vacuo? Look, you're not in your progressive getaway desert anymore. This is the real world, where real people would very much like it if you and I don't exist! Hell, if we had just pulled that stunt in Atlas we would be on our way to jail or fighting for our lives right now!"

Sun was silent for a moment, then said, "So that's why you wear your bow, huh?"

Blake sighed and hung her head, flipping through the cards in her pocket. "You know, I don't know how you were so naive after going to that memorial so often. Don't you see what other people think about us? Why we have to fight back?"

"Well, there was an awfully pretty girl in my way most of the time..."

Blake shook her head and cut him off. "Look, what just happened isn't okay, but we're not going to get anywhere talking in circles about it. Sun, it was… um, nice? to meet you, I guess."

"It was nice to meet you too, Blake," he said faintly.

She considered him for a moment. "Look, I'm going to head back to Beacon. I don't want to spend any more time around here after that. Just… If you actually care, there's going to be another big protest about a week from now by the monument. I'll be there, and maybe I'll see you there too. Bye."

She turned around, not bothering to look back for his awkward wave.

 _If I really am trapped with no way out, why do I still care about fighting against it all so much?_

* * *

 **[A/N] Back on time and back on track! Volume Two's exposition is done, from here on out we are ready to go, full steam ahead.**

 **In this chapter, we get the second half of the Ozpin conversation, and his hand is really forced here because of how much of his backstory is intertwined with his semblance. Also, Arkos has _finally_ set sail (Surprise!) and Blake and Sun inadvertently find themselves in a hostile environment because lets face it: _nobody_ cares in Vacuo, especially not Sun (Don't we all want to live there?)**

 **Thank you to my amazing reviewers alongside everyone else who favorited and followed! Cheers to everyone, you're awesome.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 12/9/17**


	14. V2 - Perfectly Fine

Volume Two, Chapter Four: Perfectly Fine

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 12/9/17

* * *

 **Trigger Warning: This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence in one scene towards the end.**

* * *

Ruby hated how the world kept forcing her to grasp for things that weren't there as if somehow she would ever get them back.

"Fuck!" she yelled as she launched punches at an impossibly fast speed, yet somehow never managing to connect with Neo's head. Neo's disguise flickered in and out of view as she used her semblance to duck and weave around Ruby's attacks. Accidentally extending too far after punching off the wrong foot, and Neo slammed her boot into her chest, knocking her back into the wall.

Ruby screamed in wordless rage as her hand went back to where Crescent was supposed to be and came up empty-handed. Pouring her aura into her semblance, she exploded off of the wall and cast herself into the cesspool of illusion in the center of the training arena. Her aura was falling, but she pushed herself further before crashed into Neo at maximum speed. The other girl flew backward before flipping in midair and kicking off the wall. Overextended, Ruby had no chance to dodge before she was kicked in the head and sent spiraling to the ground.

Neo's hands pressed into her back, and black and white aura rushed into her veins. She started to cry, the hopeless stones chilling her legs. _Neo…_

Strong arms pulled her up as Neo held her tightly, brushing her disheveled hair out of her eyes. _Ruby, we can make it through this._

 _He knew, Neo._ She was such an ugly crier, hacking sobs breaking up her thoughts. _He knew the entire time. Why didn't he say anything? Why didn't he stop it? Why? Crescent could-_

 _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, for everything._

 _Shut up, it's not your fault._ Ruby leaned her head against Neo's neck, taking deep breaths as her hands shook. _I can't fight Harkan without a weapon. I can't be a student at a combat school without a weapon. I- I have to replace her, Neo. I don't have a choice. I have to-_

Ruby broke down again, and Neo sighed as purple locks reappeared. _We just got so much bullshit we're expected_ _keep secret, this is all too much. You don't need all of the rest of this shit; we're still grieving, Ruby. Maidens, the silver eyes, magic, aura bonds – Ozpin can go burn in hell, and_ you _don't have to do anything._

 _But I want to._ She stared at the ground behind them, digging her fingers into Neo's jacket. _I used to love just sitting down in the workshop and tinkering, but I haven't done it since I got into Beacon. I love weapons, Neo. Even if- even if Crescent is gone, I don't want to lose that._ _I've already lost my first semester at Beacon… I just don't want to lose anything else._

 _You're amazing, Rose._ Neo broke away from her and got to her feet, the empty combat chamber echoing with the clatter of her shoes against the stone floor.

 _Why?_

 _Because if you didn't have me, you would have kept all of this inside just like you did with everything before._ Neo was never able to control the illusions when she was upset – they rose and rushed around her like flowing water. _Let me take some of it._

Ruby wiped her eyes and got to her feet, her tattered cloak hanging loosely around her shoulders. _What do you mean?_

 _I've given you emotions before, you know that. Just… let me take some of the pain, some of the grief away for just a little bit. There's so much, too much, and you can't handle it. Ruby, I can feel you breaking again. You can't melt down now, not again, for both of our sakes. Please, I just want to give you time to think about everything Ozpin just said._

Her desperation pressed into Ruby like a weight. _But… I don't want to forget about Crescent. I don't want to lose her, my memories of her, ever. If you take away the grief, any of it, what happens then?_

 _I- I don't know._ Neo's shoulder's sagged and the illusions vanished, leaving just the room's harsh white light.

 _We can't go back now. We just need to keep pushing forwards, both of us. You said that something is happening, right? Something big?_

 _I did._

 _Harkan destroyed me, Neo. I didn't even stand a chance. If we want any chance of winning against that, we have to fight._

Neo stiffened. _Even after what happened, you still want me to train you?_

 _Yes._ _Can we start now?_

* * *

"Blake!"

Yang and Weiss dropped their card game as Blake stalked into the dorm room. She got to her feet as her partner yanked Gambol Shroud off of her belt and dropped it by her bed. "I don't want to talk right now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked. "You've been gone for six and a half hours, and Ruby still isn't back yet! Glynda came by to tell us that we have team detention every Friday for the first month of the semester! What happened, and why are you so mad?"

Blake leaned against her bed frame and slammed her fist against her mattress, ripping her bow off of her head and throwing it to the ground. "I-"

Yang's stomach twisted as she saw the conflict in Blake's eyes. "Blake, what's wrong?"

"Glynda took us straight to Ozpin."

"And?" Weiss said.

"And..." Blake echoed, looking lost. "And I- Ruby and I are in a lot of trouble. We have detention together every day for the rest of the week. Alone. Then, he let us go into the city, and that _stupid fucking monkey_ had to-"

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold up. What monkey?" Yang interjected.

Blake's ears flattened against her head as she glared out the window, where snow had started to fall. "I was at the memorial again, and this boy named Sun Wukong comes up to me and asks me if I want to get coffee – at the memorial, who does that?"

"But you said no, right?"

"Actually, he was persistent so I figured I would get the free coffee out of it-" Yang's gut twisted painfully, and her face fell as Blake talked. "-so he took me to a coffee shop that didn't allow Faunus! He didn't even read the sign! How stupid can he be?"

"He sounds awful. I wouldn't see him again if I was you," Weiss offered as she tried to catch Yang's gaze.

"But that's the worst part! He's an exchange student at Beacon this semester, so I can't avoid him." Blake sighed as she kicked off her shoes and climbed into her bed. "All because I was too scared to not wear that stupid bow, all of it."

"Well, I'm sorry your day was so bananas," Yang muttered as she grabbed Ember Cecila and opened the door.

"Wait, Yang, where are you going?" Blake called as she stepped over the threshold.

Yang had never realized how much she hated it when Weiss was right until that moment. "You were right, Ice Queen. I'm going to go punch shit, see you guys later."

"Hey!"

"Yang!"

The door slammed shut behind her, the plaque clattering as she slid down the hardwood to the carpeted floor below. Her fists smarted as she jammed her gauntlets onto her wrists, her hair hanging into her face. Taking a deep breath, she pushed to her feet and stalked down the hallway.

 _I like her, don't I? I like Blake Belladonna. Why did Weiss have to be right? Why did this have to get complicated!?_

"Um, Yang?"

Yang stopped just short of Ren, who had been walking towards Team JNPR's dorm. "What."

"Are you… okay?" he asked hesitantly.

"Do I look okay? Get out of my way," she snapped, stepping to his side and storming past him. The school hummed with the last wave of poppy Solstice carols coming from dorm rooms filled with students waiting for the first day of term tomorrow. The training room was already lit up, a couple people already mock fighting and working out. Ember Cecila cocked as she stalked forwards and sent the nearest punching bag to her flying with a wild yell. Some of the closest kids to her stopped what they were doing and stared as her semblance flared up. She punched and whirled around the heavy bag, using years of experience from brawling and fighting to beat the everlasting shit out of it. _I'm going to kill that Sun person,_ she thought with a wild sneer as she blasted a dust round into the bag, sending it flying off the chain into the wall.

"Yang? Are you okay?"

Yang panted as Ember Cecila settled back into her resting position, whispers filling the air as people went back to their exercises. "Ruby, what are you doing here? Why haven't you gone back to the room yet?"

Ruby's expression was guarded, something that would have scared Yang before Beacon. When had she come to expect that from her little sister? "I needed to… work off steam. I was training. Why were you down here?"

"I was..." _Angry at Blake for going out on a date? Angry at Weiss for being a good friend? Angry at you for getting us all in trouble?_ "I don't know, I guess I needed to blow off some steam too… Um, who's this?"

The first thing Yang noticed about the girl who had come to Ruby's side was that she was blisteringly hot, with long purple hair and… assets. The second thing she noticed was that she was receiving an expression of familiar exasperation, almost as if the girl knew her. She winked at her and waved slightly.

"N- Yang, do you, um, remember that time I went and visited those second cousins with Mom without you and dad?"

Yang blinked. "Wait, so you're telling me that she's _related_ to you?"

"Yup? This is, um, Violet Rose." Ruby grimaced as she presented Violet with her hands, shaking them slightly.

Yang shook the girl's hand in a daze. "And you just happened to run into her? Here, of all places?"

"Well, I didn't expect to run into her here, since I haven't seen her since-" Ruby stopped mid-sentence and swayed, before giving an obviously fake grin and saying, "Well, I've been training with her! She's really good, I bet she could beat you."

"Right… Um, nice to meet you?"

"Oh, she's also mute, so you can't talk normally with her."

"Riiight..." Violet shrugged, flipping her hair around over her shoulder. Yang's eye twitched at her self-assured smirk. _Oh, I hate her. I really hate her. I will_ not _have any hair competition – in fact, I'd bet it isn't even real._ "Well, I'm not going back to the dorm room yet, are you?"

"No." Ruby's eyes lit up, and she grinned at Yang before pointing at a boxing ring in the corner of the room. "Hey, sis, wanna spar?"

"But-" _you don't have a weapon…_

"Haven't you been paying attention? I've been training in unarmed combat all semester, so I think I'll put up a little bit more of a fight than last time." Her cheerful expression wavered, and a shadow fell on her face. "Please? I need something to take my mind off of, well, everything, really."

"Sure." Ruby smiled, then grabbed Violet's hand and pulled her towards the boxing ring. Yang stared at her as she grabbed a pair of gloves and jumped into the ring, waving for her to come over.

 _She's so… grown up._ Yang wandered towards the ring as she pulled her gauntlets off, shaking her head slightly. _When did she get so grown up? What happened to the bubbly immature kid who was always too enthusiastic?_ Grabbing a pair of gloves, she swaggered into the ring and leaned against the ropes. Was Violet laughing at her now? She'd show that stupid-

"Alright, what are we waiting for?" Ruby held up her fists and slid her foot back.

Yang grinned as she pushed off the ropes, letting her arms hang lazily by her side. "Hey, it looks like somebody really did teach you a thing or two. Too bad that you're too tense!"

She rushed forward with a punch only for Ruby's glove to connect with the back of her head. _Damn, forgot her semblance. Alright, let's do THAT!_ Yang spun a roundhouse kick around, grazing Ruby's back as she ducked under and landed another punch on her chest. She staggered back as her sister stopped moving and crossed her arms. "Yang, actually try!" Ruby yelled as she launched herself at Yang.

Yang ducked under the wild punch, only to be knocked face first onto the mat as Ruby spun in midair and kicked both feet into her back. Scrambling to her feet, she pressed herself into the corner of the ring and took up the best defensive stance she had. _Alright, she's faster than me. Last time we fought like this, she completely forgot about her semblance, so now I have to think about that. Time to change strategies._

Ruby's eyes were tinged crimson as she stalked into the center of the ring. "Already done?"

"Come at me, sis!" she responded, feigning a dash forwards to trick Ruby into motion.

Before she could think, Ruby had already landed five punches on her. Yang felt her aura start to fall and her semblance build. _One punch, let's make it good._ She ducked and dodged as best she could in the corner, slowly maneuvering her into the best position possible. Finally, as both her semblance and aura reached the breaking point, she struck.

She yelled in surprise as Yang kneed her into the air with a fire charged blow then slammed her head into the mat. In that single strike, Ruby's aura had dropped from sixty-seven percent to seventeen. She knelt by her sister's side and tapped her shoulder as Violet jumped into the ring. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Ruby mumbled as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "I forgot about your semblance, I'm stupid."

"You're not stupid, Rubes," Yang laughed as she pulled her into a hug. "You were so much better than the last time we sparred like that, it's kind of amazing. Look, I can help you get better at fighting like that, since-"

There was an awkward pause.

"That would be awesome, Yang, thank you. If you want, I think I'm okay to go back to the room."

It wasn't until they were already out of the combat room that Yang realized something. "Ruby, what about Violet?"

Ruby waved her hand dismissively, walking ahead of her slightly. "Oh, it's fine, I already told her I'll see her again in the morning."

 _What? When?_

"Salutations!"

Ruby stopped walking as a strange girl with orange hair blocked the middle of the hallway. "Um, hi? Can we help you?"

"Oh, you want to help me? Wonderful! I am supposed to be making friends right now! Would you like to be my friend?"

Ruby looked to Yang, who shook her head with a raised eyebrow. _Who on Remnant is that direct?_

"Sure, we can be your friends!" Ruby chirped, and Yang massaged her temples. "My name is Ruby Rose, and this is my sister Yang Xiao Long, nice to meet you."

"And my name is Penny Polendina! It's a pleasure to meet you. You were on the news, weren't you?"

 _Wow, straight to the point, huh?_

"Um, yeah, that's me," Ruby said, suddenly seeming unsure of herself.

"You seem distressed, Friend Ruby," Penny said thoughtfully, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a scroll. "Are you a 'dog person' or a 'cat person?'"

"Definitely dogs," Yang responded.

"Ohmygodit'ssocuuute!" Ruby squealed as Penny handed her a picture of a puppy getting stuck inside a tissue box.

Yang scratched the back of her neck. "Look, Penny, it was nice to meet you-"

"It was nice to meet you too, friends!"

"-but we really have to go back to our dorm room. So… Bye!" Yang looped her arm through Ruby's and pulled her away.

"Goodbye friends!" Penny called, waving as they rounded the corner away from the training room.

Ruby pulled away from her. "Yang, what the hell?"

"I was going to ask you how you told Violet you were going to see her later before that weird girl started talking," she said.

"She was just being friendly, what's so bad about that?"

"Nothing, I'm just a little confused on _who the hell Violet is and where she came from_."

Ruby looked away. "Look, Yang, she's- I, um, don't know her very well either, and neither does Dad. I mean, I totally told him and he was just as surprised as I was. She's pretty nice though, so I think I'm going to spend a lot of time around her."

"But how do you know she's nice? She doesn't talk!"

"She, um, carries around a notepad, and, oh, that's pretty cool, yeah, she told me that she actually knows some Vale Sign Language." Not waiting for an answer, Ruby rushed down the rest of the hallway, opened WBYR's door, and slipped into the dorm room.

Yang stood alone in the empty hallway, staring ahead blankly. _Something's weird here, but there's no way some stupid second cousin is going to be better than Rube's big sister! I'll show that stupid hot bitch just how great family is supposed to be!_

* * *

 _Hey, Ruby, I'm pretty sure that your sister wants to kill me._

Ruby yawned as she picked her head up off of Neo's shoulder, waving at Yang sleepily as fire blazed around her sister's hair. _Nah, I'm sure she's fine._

Blake grabbed Yang's hand and squeezed. "Yang, calm down! You're going to break the table!"

Yang looked down at her hand, making a sound somewhere in between a squeak and a squeal before sitting down abruptly. Her face was red as she looked away, and Blake just seemed confused.

Weiss groaned looking from Ruby and Neo to Blake and Yang, then to Jaune and Pyrrha who were suspiciously close to each other. "Is there anyone here who's acting normal today? Ren and No…"

"Nora, no!"

"Aha, I did it!"

"Not the entire stack at once!"

"Yup, I think I'm going to go sit with Team CFVY right now," Weiss mumbled as she got up and fled the table.

"So… Violet..." Blake forced out. "How was your _first_ night at Beacon?"

Ruby rolled her eyes and cuddled further into Neo. _This is so nice… You're actually here, and we can almost act normal again…_

 _Ruby._

 _Yeah?_

 _You're being clingy, and it's going to get me killed._ Blake and Yang both looked like they wanted to get up and rip Neo away from Ruby as she gave a half-smirk half-smile and a thumbs up.

 _We've had so many mental cuddles, why can't we have real cuddles?_ Ruby whined as she pulled away from Neo and ate a spoonful of her cookie cereal.

 _I like cuddling you, Ruby, it's just-_

 _Who cares about them? I just wanna-_

Neo stuck one arm out as Ruby started to drift back towards her, holding her at arm's length as she flailed her arms to stop from falling over. _No._

 _No fair…_

"Okay, so this has been a totally awkward meal so far..." Jaune muttered.

Pyrrha finished her bowl of cereal, then closed her eyes. The bowl flew across the cafeteria and landed on the dish rack as a second bowl of cereal landed in front of her. "Ruby, Yang, Blake, what happened yesterday? It sounded like you guys got into a fight of some sort."

Blake curled her lip and looked away as Ruby ducked under Neo's hand with her semblance and made it back to her shoulder.

"We-ell, it wasn't that big of a deal," Yang said, leaning back in her chair as she kicked her feet up on the table.

"I could hear you guys from outside," Pyrrha said.

Jaune laughed nervously as Yang glared towards them, "You did kinda destroy your dorm room."

"Your anger was rather overwhelming last night," Ren said ponderously as Nora groaned, rubbing her stomach.

"It was-"

"Excuse me, are you Violet Rose?"

Ruby and Neo turned around in their chairs to see three students in Mistrali uniform standing behind them. One had long gray hair, another had even longer green hair, and the last sported a crew cut and a thickset jaw. The one with green hair had spoken, so Neo nodded hesitantly to her. Pulling a small notebook she had scrounged up, she wrote a quick message and passed it to her.

The girl gave her a pitying look, then said, "We're actually the rest of your team, so we thought we'd say hi. Long trip, you know. "I'm Emmy Silver, and this is Merc Blaise and Dane Lilac. Nice to meet you. Oh, and you're Ruby Rose, right? Very… noble of you, I've heard Roman Torchwick was _quite_ annoying."

 _Why, I think I hate them._

 _Yup. That pretty much sums it up._

Neo waved at them as Ruby grimaced. _Alright, so now I'm definitely going to give them the slowest and most painful deaths possible. I wonder how…_

Ruby tuned Neo out as she said, "Um… Yeah, that's me?"

"Hey, kitty cat!"

Blake hissed and Yang yelled in outrage as Dane crossed his arms. "Hey, watch it asshole!"

He rolled his sleeve back to show a long patch of leopard fur up his forearm. "Relax, you and I aren't so different, kitty cat. Matter of fact, I remember you. You were with Adam, no? The one everyone called his pet? I'm an ex-member too, ya know. Guess we end up on the same track anyways, right?"

"Dane, cool it," Merc growled.

Suddenly, the group of three had a sharp black blade pointed right at their faces. "If you ever call me Adam's pet again," Blake whispered, "You won't live long enough to talk about it."

"Right, so we'll be leaving now," Emmy said as she kicked Dane's shins. "Nice to meet you Violet, swing by our dorm eventually, okay? We are all here for the Vytal Festival, after all, so we're going to be spending some time practicing together." She grabbed the two boys by the collar, leaving Blake and Yang seething in their wake.

Neo sighed as she watched them go. _Of all of the shitty people I could have been paired with… They remind me of a group of assfucks Roman and I used to work with._

 _Honestly…_

"This is literally the worst possible start to the semester," Blake mumbled. "Like, I literally can't think of a single thing that would make this worse than it's been so far."

"Don't say that, you'll jinx it," Yang said as she pulled her partner back into her seat. "Otherwise it might actually come true."

* * *

The bucket clattered as it hit the desk, the rags falling into the soapy water.

"You will not kill each other. You will clean these chalkboards for the next hour and a half. Begin."

The sound of the door slamming shut echoed through the room as Glynda left the three of them alone in the classroom.

Ruby opened her mouth to say something, to which Blake shook her head. Neo groaned and stretched out on a desk, slowly falling asleep.

The next hour and a half crawled by in brutally awkward silence. By the end, Ruby was ready to collapse and join Neo on the desks. _We have four more of these? Are they all really going to be like this?_

Bed had never seemed more welcoming.

* * *

 _Neo, where are we? Is this a dream?_

 _I was nine..._

Neo tiptoed through the mud as she slowly made her way to the main hut of the bandit camp. Her breaths came short and heavy, her dagger hanging at her side. She froze in place as the lone guard walked around the back of the tent once again before quietly dashing forwards and slipping under the heavy animal skin walls.

Four people slept inside of the guarded room, and she could see man at the door shift restlessly, never looking in the dirty window. Slowly she drew her dagger, tears filling her eyes as she tried to hesitate.

 _Kill them silently, so that nobody_ _knows you were ever there._

Neo tiptoed to the first man, remembering years of stealth training under Starling then Silas. Closing her eyes, she took the hilt with both hands and plunged the short blade into the chieftain's throat before stuffing the corner of the covers into his mouth to stifle his choking. The blade came out crimson, and her throat clenched and her stomach turned.

As quickly as she dared, Neo ducked back out of the tent and ran for the nearest bush, unloading her dinner into the leafy fronds. _Raven,_ she thought as tears sprang to the corners of her eyes. _Why isn't Raven holding my hair back anymore?_

It wasn't the first time she had killed someone. She was almost ten, she wasn't a stupid little eight-year-old anymore. It shouldn't matter anymore, right? Silas said she still cared about killing too much, but she didn't want to go back. She didn't want to have to finish the-

 _And kill his family. Always make sure you finish the job._

Breathing her tears back, she crept back towards the tent. The dagger shook his her hands as she crept back into the tent. Unsure of who to kill next, she went towards his son, who was sleeping with a massive broadsword by his side. _If he was awake, he would just kill me. He wouldn't care, he would just cut me in half. Would he be smiling? Should I be smiling? Should I kill people like that? Would that make this any better?_

This cut was too far to the side, and it took a second to cut through the tendon she had caught before the blade reached his throat. He almost had the chance to scream, so Neo had to let go of the blade and hold his jaw shut. Her fingers trembled as they brushed over the stubble of his fresh shave – someday he might have had a full beard if he had so chosen.

The man's wife was easier, almost. It was easier to smirk than to try and bite the tears back because somehow she needed to pretend like she wasn't ripping herself apart.

The last one was too much.

It was a tiny girl, even smaller than her. She was peacefully curled up in her sheets, a small pink nightdress hugging her tiny shoulders. The fledgling smirk vanished, her hands shook, she wanted to pull away from her. She didn't want to do it. She couldn't do it.

She wouldn't do it.

 _All of them._

Green light surrounded her, and she let the dagger fall.

 _I didn't kill her. I couldn't kill her. I decided not to, right? See, none of them are dead. I won't let them be dead!_

Her aura flared, and suddenly the room looked different. The sheets were not bloody, no, everything was perfectly peaceful apart from the white and black flicker. The girl's covers had fallen away, so she carefully knelt by her bedside and tucked her in.

 _Look at how peacefully she's sleeping. I wouldn't want to be cold when I sleep. That would be awful._

The half-smile came back, maybe because it was easy, maybe because everything was _perfectly fine._

She didn't see the shifting half illusions in the middle of the room. That couldn't be possible because then everything wouldn't be perfect and she might never make it back to camp.

The four corpses slept peacefully through the night, carefully tucked in by the visitor in the night.

* * *

Qrow groaned as he stumbled into the elevator, jamming his hand into the panel as he wondered why the elevator was going down. He was far too lost to wonder about the red glow that filled the elevator, or who had picked him up and dragged him to his hotel room.

"Qrow… What could have happened to have gotten you this drunk?" Raven asked softly as she dropped her brother into his bed.

"Rae," Qrow mumbled as the dark rose around him. "I found her."

By the time she thought to ask what he could possibly mean by that, he had already passed out. Sighing, she cut her portal back open and stepped through. "Don't go anywhere, idiot. I'll be back" She sighed, then the hotel room was filled with nothing but the faint remnants of booze once more.

* * *

 **[A/N] Ah… It's snowing, I'm on time, and Blake's having a _really_ bad day. What else is new?**

 **A couple of announcements:**

 **First, I'm going to be changing my user name when I finally get on break, which is about a week from now. Just a heads up so you guys know what to expect. None of the names of my stories will be changing.**

 **Second, I just wanted to mention two projects I'm working on that will be coming to you guys in 2018. First is not a fic, but will be coming to you guys in the first week of January or so. Second, I've started work on my third major work, which will be a RWBY story and is currently slated for release sometime in between May and September, if not a little earlier. Other than that, my 2018 plans as they currently stand are to finish re:Bound and continue working on my other projects across Pokemon, Ranma, and Harry Potter.**

 **Thank you all for your awesome support, you guys rock!**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 12/16/17**


	15. V2 - Whiplash

Volume Two, Chapter Five: Whiplash

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction By Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 12/16/17

* * *

Ruby's forehead glistened with sweat as she carefully poured the molten metal into the mold. The red-hot liquid spilled from the ladle under her careful guidance, making slight adjustments to the console operated machine on the other side of the glass. Even outside of the forging room, the temperatures were upwards on a hot summer day. The moment the slim mold had filled, she jabbed a blue button on the console. Watching as the top of the mold pressed down on the molten metal, she sighed in relief and collapsed into the chair behind her. _That's the last of the easy stuff._ _Tomorrow I can work on the little parts._

"Ruby?"

Looking up, she gave Pyrrha a tired smile as she settled down at one of the workbenches and set her spear and shield down. "Oh, hi Pyrrha. What's up?"

"Oh, you know, Milo and Akouo both need to be sharpened." Closing her eyes for a second, Pyrrha pointed at the corner of the room and pulled a grindstone bench towards her. "How about you? What are you working on?"

The screech of metal on stone filled the room as Ruby walked back to another bench and picked up a wide sheet of paper. "A new weapon – well, it's not new, but I'm making it again."

Pyrrha looked away from her spear as she let her semblance do the work for her. "What do you- Wait, isn't that-"

"Ember Cecila." Ruby stared down at the detailed blueprints. She could sketch her finger over every line, she had looked at this drawing that many times. "It's not permanent, but- Crescent was more than a weapon, and I'm never going to remake her, I don't think. I designed it for myself a couple years ago, but Yang really liked it and had me make modifications. I brought the original molds with me, though, so I'm going to use these until I come up with something new."

Pyrrha frowned as her javelin flew off of the stone and was replaced by her shield. "I thought you didn't fight brawler style like Yang?"

"Well, it doesn't fight like Yang's. I made changes for her fighting style when she asked for it, the original design worked much better with my semblance," she responded, starting to get animated like she always did about weapons.

"Changes?"

Ruby grinned and activating her semblance, shooting across the room and stopping by another workbench. She picked up a small dark gray cube and tossed it across the room. It seemed to fly through the air in slow motion before Pyrrha caught it in wonder. "What is this?"

"A gravity dust infused steel alloy." In a split second, Ruby was back at her outline and pointing at a part of the sketch. "See, Yang is strong and I'm not, but I do have my speed. The way Ember Cecila is designed is it has two gauntlets connected by metal runners that slingshot the outer gauntlet forwards. For Yang's, she fights fast and close up, so both of Ember's gauntlets are steel and the runners are dust powered. That's good for her because she doesn't have the time or space to generate that momentum herself, so the dust gives it a powerful push without a lot of extra effort."

"So how is yours different?"

She plucked the cube away and wiggled it between her fingers. "On mine, the inner gauntlet is made of this super light material, and the runners are really loose. That way, when I use my semblance, the outer gauntlet gets pulled behind the inner because it has so much more resistance. So-"

Pyrrha interjected as she set her shield back on the bench. "So when your fist stops short on someone's aura, it'll punch forward just as fast as you were going?"

"And that's where the blade comes in!" Ruby exclaimed, a little too enthusiastically for Pyrrha. "It's retractable, of course, and it fires dust too. I'll probably have it done by the end of the week, and then I can try it out with N- I mean, in combat class!"

"That sounds wonderful, Ruby," Pyrrha said. The low hum of the forge was soothing as she took a polishing cloth and started working on Akouo. She walked into the forge room to make sure the molds were cooling properly. Her heart still twisted slightly whenever she looked at the molds, but Crescent was gone, and she had to keep moving forward. She didn't have any choice but to move on.

Walking back over, she frowned as Pyrrha sighed very audibly. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine! I just..." She let her cloth slip out of her fingers and onto the wooden table, twirling her ponytail around her hand and staring off into the distance. "Actually, it's Jaune."

"Jaune? Didn't you guys go to Mistral together for break? Did something happen?" Ruby asked, wondering what _Jaune,_ of all people, could have done to make her friend sigh like that.

"No, having him along was great. It's just," Pyrrha said before pausing to compose herself. "Well, we were training on the roof, and then we were dancing, and then we… kissed."

"You.." It took a second for it to register, then Ruby squealed and threw her arms around Pyrrha. "Did he really? That's awesome, what happened? Tell me everything, Yang never tells me any gossip!"

Pyrrha laughed, her cheeks flushing as she hugged Ruby back. "I didn't expect you, of all people, to care about this sort of thing! Well, it happened yesterday..."

 _Neo! Neo, did you hear what Pyrrha said?_

 _Huh?_ Neo sounded beleaguered across their bond – _Aura bond, we know what it is now_ – and she sent a questioning push back.

 _Is something wrong?_

 _No, just an intensely awkward conversation with these losers. The racist one knows a bit of sign language, but they're all such assholes that I wish he didn't. What's happening?_

 _Pyrrha kissed Jaune!_

 _I knew it!_ _It's about damn time,_ _too, those two have been falling all over each other all year._

Ruby grinned as she listened to Pyrrha describe her kiss with Jaune. "Okay, so what are you guys going to do now?"

"Well… I guess I'd like to go on a date, maybe?" Pyrrha blushed and looked away. "Really, it's not a big deal, you don't have to worry about it."

"I'm just glad you guys are happy." A shadow fell over Ruby's face as she looked down at Milo on the bench below them. "It's my fault that Jaune was having such a hard time last semester, anyways. I don't even know why you would want relationship advice from someone like me."

"Ruby, of course I want you to talk to me about this!" Pyrrha exclaimed as she got to her feet and put her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I mean, you're my closest friend at Beacon, besides Jaune, even if you did go a _little_ crazy at the end of last semester. Look, Jaune told me about what happened, and- I know you were trying to do the right thing, teaching him even after you figured out his transcripts. I don't blame you for anything, even if your methods are a bit more intense than I might be comfortable with."

"But-"

Pyrrha tightened her grip, forcing Ruby to meet her eyes. "Ruby, nobody blames you! We all know what you were going through, so there's no reason to apologize for-"

 _She's wrong._ Forcing a fake smile, Ruby said, "No, I wasn't going to say that! How could I give you relationship advice when I've never even had a girlfriend?"

Pyrrha blinked. "Girlfriend?"

"Yup!" she exclaimed before realizing Pyrrha was staring at her with an appraising expression. "Um, is that weird? I've kinda never really said that out loud. Yang always used to say I was too pure and innocent for all of that." _I guess that isn't really true anymore, now is it?_ She thought bitterly, fighting to keep her face even.

"No, not at all! I just was surprised you even think about sex like th-"

Ruby rushed forwards and pressed her hands against Pyrrha's mouth. "Pyrrha, you can't just talk about that like that!"

 _Wait a second, you still think about sex like that?_

Ruby squeaked as Pyrrha burst out laughing. _N-Neo, you were listening to all of that?_

She blanched as a very naked Neo flickered into view, who smirked at her as she walked towards her. _Oh, I'm going to have_ so _much fun tormenting you like this!_

 _You can't do that! I thought we agreed-_

There was a flash of green light, and Neo's illusion vanished from Ruby's field of vision. There was a flash of resentment, then Neo pushed it down and sighed. _Aw, you're no fun._

"Anyways, do you really think I should ask Jaune out?" Pyrrha asked, and Ruby nodded.

"Yeah! He'll totally say yes, he did, um, well..."

Pyrrha's eyes sparkled with mirth as Akouo and Milo lifted off of the table and reattached themselves to her back. "Kiss me? You know, I think I will; knowing him, he's probably scared to ask me himself. I'm going to head back up to the dorm, would you like to come with me?"

"One second." Ruby shot back over to her cooling metalwork and checked that everything was okay for her to leave alone. "Yeah, I'm good. Let's go get some rest."

* * *

The tea kettle began to whistle, piercing through the stuffy hotel room. It was gray, supposedly, but there were so many stains on the faux stainless steel it was hard to tell. The black plastic handle was cool to the touch as Raven pulled the kettle off of the stove and brought it to the table, carefully pouring two cups as she sat down on the creaky wooden chair. Her mask was already resting on the surface, and her sword leaned against the beige wall.

A groan came from the bed, and sheets rustled as Qrow pushed himself up off of the mattress. "Huh, wha..." he mumbled as he stared at Raven. "Sis?"

" _I_ dragged your drunk ass back to the hotel room and made you tea," she snapped. "If you want to show even the slightest bit of gratitude, get over here and drink it so I can get back to the tribe." _I was supposed to be helping Vernal this morning, but I'm here instead! God damn it, I hate him so much._

"Wha're you doing here?" He dragged himself out of bed, holding his head as he stumbled his way to the table.

"What, after fifteen years of binge drinking you can't even deal with a hangover?" she mocked him as he slumped down into his seat, pushing down her concern. _Seriously, how much did he drink last night?_

He took a long sip from the cup before setting it down. "I've had a pretty damn crappy two days, okay?" he said, a hint of energy crawling into his speech.

Raven stared at him, turning something over that he had said last night in her head. "I have news for you, but you're going to tell me what you were talking about last night before I tell you."

Qrow froze and stared at his tea. "What did I say to you last night?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You said, 'I found her.' Who did you find?" _All these years, he's still easy to read as ever. What is he hiding?_

Her brother cursed under his breath, downing the rest of his tea and getting to his feet. "I'm going. Thanks for the tea, I guess." He walked towards the door only to find himself facing a red portal.

"Qrow. Tell me _now_ , unless you want to end up in one of my cages." Raven set her cup down and got to her feet, grabbing her sword. "You should be grateful I even give you and Oz news anymore, so I'd be perfectly happy to stop if you don't want it."

He bowed his head and slammed his fist. "Fuck you, Raven. Tai's going to kill me if he realizes I got you involved in this mess."

"What ar-"

"It's Neo." Qrow's expression was furious as he turned back to her. "I found her, and she's going to get us all killed."

Raven's sword clattered to the floor of the hotel room as she stared at him. A brief spark of hope sparked in her chest as she reached into her pocket and pulled out an old worn dagger in a leather sheath. 'Neopolitan' was imprinted onto the leather she clutched to her chest, tears welling in her eyes. "She's alive?" she whispered. "How could she be alive?"

"Oh, she's alive, alright. You'll never guess who she's bonded to now." Qrow stalked past his sister as he yanked a flask out of his coat and took a long drink.

 _Neo… You're alive? After what happened?_ Composing herself, Raven's red eyes flashed as she stooped down to pick her sword up. "She- Who has her? I'm going to slaughter them – I'd rather die than let another Augustus use her." Qrow started quietly chuckling to himself, and she unsheathed her sword and buried the tip in the hotel floor. "Damn it Qrow, tell me!"

"Oh, you're not going to like this at all," he said, and then Raven was holding her blade to his throat.

"Qrow Branwen," she snarled into his ear. "I thought that I had lost both of my daughters, so if you think you can just tell me Neo isn't dead _I want answers!_ "

"Roman Torchwick had her. He's dead now. Guess who killed him?" Qrow's breath stank of booze, but Raven was too shocked to care.

Quietly, she said, "You're telling me that Ruby Rose has Neo's bond." He nodded. "Ruby Rose. Is controlling Neo. Ruby Rose, the daughter of my ex-husband and ex-partner."

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying."

Raven screamed in wordless rage as her aura flared around her, setting the dust function on max as she launched herself at Qrow. He ducked as she cut through the trashy pullout couch like silly putty, exploding a round of red dust that flung both of them backward. The hotel wall blew outward, sending the early morning light cascading down his scythe as he sliced down towards her. She ducked as his blade carved a gouge into the floor, kicking him through the wall into the next room over.

A family of four cowered as Qrow pushed back off of the opposing wall, swinging back around through the plaster wildly. Raven's eyes flashed as she cut a portal open, and he fell through, unable to stop his momentum.

Qrow tumbled onto the wooden floor of the main tent as Vernal screamed in surprise. Raven flew after him, her boot connecting with his face as he flew out the main entrance and into the camp proper. Blade met scythe in a deadly dance as they spun through the main camp, bandits cowering in fear as the watched their leader battle her long-lost brother, remembered by just a select few.

Raven saw none of it through her blind rage.

"Raven, should I do something?" Vernal called from behind her.

"Kill him!" she snarled as she met the scythe in midair.

The blue sky turned stormy in an instant as their fight continued, rumbling as lightning arced across the sky. A powerful jet of air carried Qrow away from Raven as Vernal rose into the air. A cage of lightning arced around her body as she shot towards him.

"I can let you meet!" Qrow yelled as he threw himself to the side, barely dodging the attack. "Rae, listen to me!"

His scythe fell to the ground as Vernal lifted him up into the air. Hovering, they drifted back towards Raven, who was breathing heavily as she sheathed her sword. Vernal landed as Qrow struggled against his invisible prison. "There you go, Raven."

Qrow stopped trying to free himself and glared down at her. "Raven, when the hell did you get the spring maiden?"

" _I_ came to her for guidance and training years ago," Vernal sneered as his scythe flew into her hand. "She doesn't own me; that was Ozpin's problem."

"I left the Guardians for a reason, which Vernal happened to agree with," Raven said as she walked towards him. "I will let you go, Qrow, on two conditions. One, you will tell Neo that she should find somewhere to be alone at midnight on Thursday, in two days. Two, if a host of Atlesian soldiers show up at my gates tomorrow, I will kill them and then kill you. Do you understand?"

Qrow coughed as Vernal let him fall to the ground, blood trickling from a cut on his forehead. "What about Ruby?"

"Well, I guess Tai is just going have to deal with being angry, isn't he?" she snapped, then turned on her heel. "Tell Oz that the Grimm have been gathering north of Vale, and the White Fang is planning something big. I need to think." Before Qrow had a chance to respond, she had cut a portal open under him. He vanished, and Vernal threw his scythe into the portal after him.

"Raven!" Vernal called as she stomped into her tent, throwing her sword to the side. "Who was that? What's going on?"

Raven's entire body shook as she stared bleakly at the floor. _Neo's alive. Neo's alive. Neo's been alive for the last seven years, and I've never even tried to check on her. Why did I stay away? Why did I ignore the tag?_

She hadn't touched that part of her semblance since the last time she had seen Neo – now she stripped away the years and years of aura walls she had constructed around it.

 _Fucking hell… It's still there. It's been there the whole time._

 _Neo, I-_

"Raven?" the spring maiden asked hesitantly as her tribe leader buried her head in her hands and started to cry. "Are you okay?"

"Vernal… How much do you know about my past?"

* * *

 _Just three more detentions… Only three more detentions… You can handle this, Belladonna._

Blake slipped into the cafeteria, her book squeezed tightly against her chest. The lunch line was mercifully quick – most of the rest of Beacon seemed to have already eaten. Nobody else seemed to be eating at their normal table, so she sat down to start eating, grateful for the peace and isolation.

"Blake?"

…and there was her partner. Exactly the last person she wanted to see when she was trying to think straight. Golden hair, tight shirt, and that magnetic air that drew all of her attention away. Great. "Yang, what's up?"

"I, um-" Yang sat down and looked away, an odd expression on her face. "Are you okay?"

 _No, does it look like I'm okay?_ _Of course, I can't talk about it, so what do you expect me to say?_ Ears curling, she said, "No," then looked away.

"Blake, what's wrong? You've been weird since you and Ruby got in trouble. Is it the protest thing? Is it that stupid boy, because I could totally go and punch him for you?"

 _She doesn't get it at all._ "It isn't any of that! Look, maybe sometimes people just aren't okay, okay? Can't you just leave me alone?" she snapped, the last sentence slipping out far harsher than it had sounded in her head.

Yang flinched back, a hurt expression crossing her face. "Okay, I get it, forgive me for caring enough about you to ask! You know, you could just tell me what's wrong. I won't judge you, or anything, even if you really did like that boy-"

 _No, I can't just tell you what's wrong!_ "It's not about Sun, okay? I don't know what your problem is, but you've been acting weird too! You stormed out on us when I was telling you about my day, and now you bring him up every damn time we get into a conversation!" Blake glared at her as she got to her feet. "I mean, do you like him or something? Is that what all of this is about?"

"No, why the hell would I like someone like him?" Yang stood as well. "I'm just worried about you, Blake! It feels- It feels like you're going down the same path as Ruby, and I can't lose you like that!"

" _I am nothing like Ruby_!"

The kids surrounding them fell silent. Yang stared at her with those infuriatingly wide lilac eyes. "Blake..."

She couldn't take it anymore, and she couldn't hold herself back. "Maybe you just need to butt out of my life, okay? You don't know anything about my past. You don't have a clue why I care about this protest. You don't know how I feel about Sun. Maybe I do want to date him, huh? What would you do then, stop me? Put me in an even smaller cage than the one I'm already in? You don't have a clue about what's happening to me, Yang!"

"Well, maybe I want to!" Yang yelled back as her eyes turned red. "Why the hell do you think I'm asking, because I don't care? I do care, I care about you!"

Blake wavered for a moment, desperately wanting to blurt out everything that had happened to her. She hated this, she hated it, she was going to say it, she-

 _"Miss Belladonna, I have offered you a chance for redemption once. I am not one to extend that offer a second time so quickly, but these… special circumstances have forced my hand. Do not mistake me – if you do not learn how to work with others, if you refuse demonstrate resilience towards your goal, if you attempt to cross me or divulge any of this information outside of this room, you will not be attending this school or worse."_

She was doing this for Yang. If she was kicked out… She would never forgive herself for hurting Yang. She loved Yang to much to ever hurt her.

 _Doing this is going to hurt her._

It was too late – she had no choice, no other path out of the cage, and nothing to do but chose the lesser of two evils.

"Just leave me alone."

Yang's eyes widened. "Blake, please-"

"Just leave me alone!"

She dashed out of the cafeteria, her meal forgotten. Ruby and Weiss were talking as she burst into their dorm room, slamming the bathroom door. She fell to her knees and started to cry, the hopelessness she had been pushing down welling up and engulfing her.

 _I'm sorry, Yang. I'm sorry, but this is the only way things can without losing you. I can't lose you._

It hurt, she thought, because somehow she was losing her anyway.

She was losing the only person she really cared about anymore, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

* * *

"Hey Jaune?"

Jaune stopped reading his comic and rolled over so he could see her. "Yeah, Pyrrha, what's up?" His armor had been set aside, and he was wearing a fuzzy pair of winter solstice socks.

"Well… I actually have something to ask you." She blushed down at her knees, her throat growing tight as she questioned what she was doing. _Am I actually going to ask him? Am I ready for this?_

"Ya know, I actually wanted to ask you something too. You wanna go first?"

"Um..." She looked over at Jaune, who was staring at her. "Do you want to go get coffee with me in Vale on Saturday?"

"Like a date?" he asked, blushing slightly and sitting up.

Pyrrha smiled hopefully. "Um, yeah, like a date."

"Yeah, that sounds totally awesome- wait, damn it!" Jaune's face fell. "I was going to ask you, I was even going to play guitar and all that!"

 _Did that just happen?_ Pyrrha laughed as he pulled his guitar out from under his bed. "I still want to hear it! I like it when you play guitar!"

"Really? I don't know, Nora says that I sound like a mating cow when I-"

She rolled her eyes and booped her partner's – no, boyfriend's – nose. "Yeah, because she's Nora. You even listened to her when she said wearing three pairs of socks made you do better on tests!"

"Well, I did do bet-"

Pyrrha's lips met his, and suddenly the guitar was forgotten on the side of the bed. She had never realized how badly she craved someone who cared about her – _her,_ as a person. Now that she had found him, she never wanted to let him slip away.

* * *

 _So Blake just ran into the dorm and locked herself in the bathroom?_

 _Yup, that's what happened. I figured I probably wasn't the best person to try and comfort her, so I left Yang and Weiss in there_ _with her and came down here,_ Ruby said to Neo as she slowly pried half of a gauntlet out of the mold. The silvery metal gleamed under the dim lighting as she stepped back and admired her handiwork. _It's so pretty!_

 _I just don't get you sometimes…_ Neo leaned back as her legs dangled over the edge of the table she was sitting on. Her shirt pulled tighter as purple hair drifted over her shoulder, highlighting- Ruby pinched herself and shook her head clear.

 _This is so unfair._

 _What's unfair?_

 _Why did you have to choose a disguise that's so hot?_

Neo stared at her for a moment. W _hat?_

 _Wait, you didn't-_ Ruby flushed as she turned away to go back to the smaller casting she had done earlier that day. _I didn't say that! Forget I said anything!_

 _You think I'm hot._

She gulped as she turned back to meet her pink eyes. _Um, well… kinda? You didn't get that earlier._

 _And I thought you might have noticed that I'm actively trying to stay out of your thoughts._

 _Really?_ Ruby asked in surprise as Neo laid on her back and made circles with her umbrella in the air.

 _Yeah._ _Okay, now that I'm actually looking… Oh- Oh wow, that's-_

 _Shut up! You're not supposed to see that!_

 _Here's what I don't get. You've been seeing me naked in dreams literally since the first day we were bonded. Am I not hot normally?_

 _You-_

 _Answer very carefully, there's one correct answer and a whole lot of my sword._

Ruby shuddered as she slowly pulled an inch of the sword out of its scabbard, pulling a drawer open and taking out a handful of screws. _I don't know, I mean… Maybe if you had spent less time trying to drive me insane?_

 _I resent that. Psychotic bitches can still be hot, thank you very much. I mean, did you_ look _at that illusion of Cinder I showed you?_

 _Oh my god, her dress!_

 _With the open back-_

 _-and her hair-_

 _Ugh, I loved that braid._

 _-and the bow-_

 _Have I told you that I really don't understand you sometimes?_

 _Mmm._

Neo pushed off of the table and leaned over her as she started to piece the easier parts of the gauntlets together. _But you have seen me naked since you woke up,_ _so_ _-_

 _Well, I mean you are smaller than me – which is totally cute, I mean, and I love the way you look – but as Violet you're taller, and your hair, and your boobs…_

 _...Ruby, you're drooling. Also, weren't you complaining about sex yesterday when you were talking to Pyrrha?_

 _That was out loud! Besides, you're different._

 _Why, because I'm hot?_

 _Yes! I mean, no- Maybe?_

"I thought I might find you down here, kiddo." Qrow stuck his hands in the air as Neo's sword rested against his throat. "Woah, I need to talk to you. Rubes, make her stand down."

 _She doesn't want to talk to you, but clearly your scythe is buried too far up your ass for you to see that._

Ruby crossed her arms as she glared at her uncle. "For the record, I don't _make_ Neo do anything. Ever. So forgive me if we're a little _distrustful_ of you after you threatened to murder her, just like the last time you saw her."

 _Can-_

 _No, you can't kill my uncle._

"Right..." Qrow never took his eyes off of the blade as he said, "Look, all I'm supposed to do is deliver a message to you, so let's all calm down, okay?"

Neo withdrew her blade and waved her hand. Qrow started as words appeared in mid-air. 'If you give me a reason to, I will kill you for everything you did to Raven. Ruby won't stop me, either. Spit it out then get out of here.'

"You wouldn't let her-"

"After yesterday? Absolutely," Ruby muttered, glaring at her uncle.

Qrow's eyes widened, and he violently pulled his flask out of his pocket. She couldn't help but wonder why he had a big bandage across his forehead, or why his clothes were covered in dirt, but quite honestly, she didn't care. "Ruby..."

'Do you have something to say?'

"Tomorrow night. Be alone outside at two am."

"Why? Why should we do that?" Ruby asked.

Qrow sighed as he rubbed his wound. "There's someone who wants to meet the two of you. Guess I'll leave now, it'd be nice if someone lets me know if my niece ever comes back." Before Ruby or Neo could respond, he had already slunk away from the weapons workshop, leaving nothing but the faint smell of beer behind.

Neither of them felt much like talking after that.

* * *

"Blake! Please let us in!" Yang's fist ached as she banged against the door for the millionth time to no response but Blake's faint crying. She felt like screaming – her partner was on the other side of that door, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do! She sank down the door frame until she was on her knees, pressing her forehead to the white paint. "Please..."

"I said, go away!"

"Tell me what's wrong!" she called back.

A dull thud shook the wall. "You're the problem! Just stop asking and leave me alone! You can't help me! You can't save me, so stop trying!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is!"

"Blake, I-"

"Fuck you, Yang!"

Something inside of Yang broke, and she couldn't take it anymore. Bursting into tears, she pushed away from the door and threw herself onto her bed, sobbing into her pillow.

 _This is all my fault – I tried to get to close, I screwed this up. It's my fault she hates me now. She hates me now. Will she even want to be my partner after this? Will she even want to stay on team WBYR?_

"Yang..." Her body shook as Weiss sat down by her side, pulling her hair out of her face.

"Wh-what did I do wrong?" she choked out. "All I did was ask her if she was okay. Why won't she tell me? Why is she in there alone, without anyone else?"

Weiss sighed as she leaned against the bedpost. "This isn't your fault, Yang. I'll be the first one to admit that this week – hell, our entire time at Beacon has been less than perfect. I don't know why we're always so ready to go off at each other on a moment's notice."

"But- She wants me to leave her alone! She's my best friend, and she wants me to leave her alone!"

Weiss rubbed her back as she said, "I think that if you're really best friends, it doesn't matter if the other person appreciates it or not. All that matters is that you're there for them when they're ready to let them in. You just need to… give her some time, Yang. I'm sure she'll come around, that she'll be ready to talk to you eventually."

"You get so deep sometimes, Weiss," Yang mumbled into her pillow.

"I mean, I'm not the team leader for nothing. Actually, I'm even more glad none of you are team leader now than when we were first formed – I mean, I think I'm the only stable person left on WBYR. You're a mess, Blake's a mess, and Ruby went insane and is somehow almost normal again."

She laughed in spite of herself. "You're not wrong..."

Weiss got to her feet with another heavy sigh. Raising her voice so Blake could hear, she said, "Look, guys, I don't know exactly what happened, but I think everyone will feel better if we all get a full nights sleep. Blake, do you think you could come out so we can all shower?"

There was no response for a minute, then the door drifted open. Blake's eyeliner had been smeared across her cheeks, and her ears drooped as she avoided looking at either of her teammates. "I'm sorry," she whispered before throwing her pajamas on and climbing into bed.

"I'm not going to shower. You should go, Weiss."

"Are you two okay if I leave you alone?"

"Just go."

For what seemed like an eternity, Yang laid in bed and stared at the wooden frame of the bunk bed above her. She didn't speak, but she wished Blake would hear her pleas and say something to her, anything. The silence was suffocating until the night mercifully sent her to sleep.

* * *

 **[A/N] Blake and Yang's conflicts meet head on, and the result isn't pretty. Also, there's a ton of Raven &Neo history we haven't even started to unpack. Also, Ruby geeks out on weapons, a bit of fluff to balance things out, and Jaune and Pyrrha have a date.**

 **In other news, I thought The Last Jedi was excellent and had some of the most stunning visuals and SFX of any film I have ever seen (one scene in particular left me in literal awe). Go see it, it's totally worth it. This week I have nothing to do but sit around and write, so expect chapters on almost all of my stories as well as one new side project.**

 **Thank you so much for all of your awesome feedback! Please remember to review!**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 12/23/17**


	16. V2 - Innocent

Volume Two, Chapter Six: Innocent

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction By Pokefan87

Chapter Publish Date: 12/23/17

* * *

 _Silas was the second. He was the second of the five, but I thought nobody could possibly be worse than him. He made me murder people, he beat me, and he ordered me around like a dog._

 _Neo, this isn't your fault!_

 _I was so naive, Ruby. I was so naive to think he was the worst I could possibly have, and I was stupid to have left that night._

The blackened husk of the town hall loomed over the desolate village of Sanasaki. Men sang a working song as they quickly erected a wooden wall around the town square. It was good that the wall was going up; it was harder to keep in high spirits when a pile of burning villager corpses bled in the background. People rushed to secure their perimeter, setting fires inside the makeshift camps in the surrounding buildings. It was overcrowded, packed almost – the raiding party had been far bigger than necessary.

For a village with stone walls, Sanasaki had been a weak opponent after Neo had stabbed their leader in the back of the neck.

The air warped and twirled around her as she unloaded her dinner into a scorched bush. Her dagger was still clutched in her fingers, blood and dirt griming the edges. _I killed him. I killed him. I killed him. I killed him. I-_

 _Neo, shut up._

Neo choked back tears as the green light seized her body, falling to her side and taking deep gasping breaths. She wanted to scream at him, but… What would she even say to Silas? Why did she even want to say it, if he would just beat her for her own thoughts like he always did?

 _Fucking hell. Get in here, now! Are you deaf? How many damn times can you puke after you kill someone?_ She staggered to her feet as the green pulled her up. She tried to fight back but just ended up losing control of her body instead. The shoes she had stolen from the town's shoe store right before it had been set on fire were already set in scarlet sheen – she supposed she was lucky Silas let her take new ones at all.

The leader of the Ravinere tribe pressed his fist to the blackened stone wall of the town hall's atrium as Neo's body was dragged in the entrance, barking orders at men setting up camp before turning his attention to her. "Come here."

She was expecting the punch, but her head still spun as Silas knocked her to the ground. A plea rose to her lips, but he had ordered her to be silent. No direct thoughts, no talking – just silence, and it was deafening.

He kicked her side before turning away, spitting as she cried out in pain. "You're on guard duty again. Lots of Grimm tonight – death always brings them in hordes. Make sure you're the one doing the killing. You can start now."

Patrol that night was hard, harder than it had been in a while. Grimm swarmed the desolate village, and it was all Neo and the other bandits could do to keep them off of the flimsy rubble walls the tribe had hastily erected. Grimm were different than humans – they were mindless, and Neo had no qualms about taking her frustrations out on them. A simple illusion was all she needed to make herself invisible, and her dagger did the rest.

Once the hordes had died down, the men retreated back towards the barricade, avoiding her. She had heard the whispers in the tribe. She knew what they thought of her. She was a demon, she was Grimm spawn, and Silas was powerful beyond belief to have chained her. He knew it too, and she was often the person he used to exact punishments to disloyal members of the tribe. All she could do was ignore them, waiting at the edge of the barricade as the last of the men went back in.

Suddenly, a familiar red rift split the air beside her in two. She jumped to her feet, shaking her head wildly at the masked woman emerging into the brooding night air. "Should I come back?" Raven whispered, and she froze. _Silas said I'm allowed to patrol, so it's okay if I leave… He wants me to guard him tonight, though,_ _but-_

"Yes." Raven nodded and stepped back into her portal, which vanished in her stead. Neo's fist clenched the hilt of her dagger; the guards didn't trust her, and Silas didn't need to know that she had left. Once she was certain nobody was watching, she vanished into her illusions and dashed into the woods.

This was her favorite time of day – once Silas was gone, she got to unleash her illusions on the world. There were other kids in the tribe, even another twelve-year-old, but she wasn't allowed to play with them. Stretching her hands out, a glittering blue path appeared before her, dissipating under her new shoes. Her visions pulsed with the racing of her heart, twisting her reality around her. The swirling was her world, and nobody else was allowed to see it.

Not even Silas.

Oh, he had tried, but she always found a way to punish him for it. For all he was arrogant, he was a careless man and didn't often both to monitor her thoughts. When he did, she would barrage him with thoughts and emotions, every shred of hatred and loathing she had built up towards him for the past four years. When he shut her emotions down, forcing them down inside her, she would make his life physically miserable. She would leave his boots out on a rainy day, or hide his sword away. There was only so much he could command her not to do, and she always found a loophole.

After a moment, the portal reappeared. Neo flung herself into Raven's waiting arms, tearing up again as she stuffed her face into her armor. Raven held her head tight to her chest, looking from Neo's shoes to her dagger to the thick black plume of smoke billowing from the village. "How many?"

"First the leader in the back, then six others," she whispered, starting to shake as Raven ran her fingers through her matted hair.

"I'm sorry."

"..."

Raven growled as she stepped back and looked Neo up and down. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a slightly squished pastry and handed it to her. "Qrow was in Vale today, and I wasn't sure whether he's been letting you eat or not..."

She smiled as Neo's eyes turned white. After six years watching her grow up, Raven could recognize Neo's emotions from her eyes easily – white was the rarest, reserved for love, fear, and regret. "More than last week," she said as she grabbed the treat and quickly devoured it.

Raven hissed, sliding her blade out of her scabbard. "I'm going to kill that bastard, I-"

"No, you can't!"

"And why not?!" Her sword slashed through a tree trunk like butter, sending it to the ground with a thud.

Neo ran forwards and caught her sword arm. "I told you before!"

"Well, what if I don't give a damn? He's killing you, Neo!" Raven said. Her sword tip drifted to the forest floor, resting against the dark underground.

Neo shook her head. "I don't wanna lose you, Raven," she whispered. "I don't want you to be like Silas."

"I would never do that to you. I would never order you around like he does, or starve you, or anything like that." A hint of desperation crept into her tone as Neo squeezed her eyes shut and turned away.

"But it doesn't matter. You would still see my thoughts, and no matter what you would end up controlling me!"

"I would ne-"

"You would! This would never be the same again. I don't want to lose my mo-"

A dull explosion shook the ground, and Neo and Raven spun to face the village. The tribe leader nodded, and she started sprinting back.

The walls were burning as she sprinted back through the barricade, unleashing her dagger. Unfamiliar men fought with Silas' men, and she shot as many illusions as she could muster into the fray to generate confusion. The town hall was even more chaotic, but she ignored it all making a beeline for where Silas was.

She burst into the bedroom to see a man holding a spear-like weapon standing over his unconscious body. Running on fear and adrenaline, she launched herself at him. _I can't let him die!_

Twisting, he easily sidestepped her and launched the butt of his spear into her chest. She rolled as she hit the floor.

The air swirled around her as she stumbled to her feet, dazed. The man grinned at her as he leaned on his spear, letting the tip sink into Silas' chest. "Ah, I was wondering when you would show up. You and I are going to have so much fun, aren't we" _Neopolitan._

* * *

"Yang Xiao Long!"

Yang stared at Weiss as she jumped onto the table, balancing on a pile of dished as she pointed at her. "Um, Weiss? What are you doing?"

"This morning you've been nothing but quiet, moody, and antisocial!" she exclaimed. "Just because Ruby has gotten better doesn't mean that you can be like this! So, tell us what's wrong!"

"Yeah, what she said," Ruby said, crossing her arms as she jumped up onto the table next to her.

She sighed, turning away from her teammates. "Look, it doesn't matter."

"Yang..." Ruby jumped off of the table and slid onto the bench next to her. "Blake is… What Blake is going through isn't your fault. Really."

"She wouldn't even get out of bed this morning." Yang slammed her fist down on the table. "Why won't she let us help her? Why won't she let me help her? She's destroying herself, and I don't even know why!"

"Maybe this is something she has to go through by herself?" Ruby offered. "Yang, you know her better than any of us. If she doesn't want you to help her, maybe it's because you can't…" She trailed off as Yang glared at her.

"Ruby, maybe you could let me talk to Yang," Weiss said, resting a hand on her shoulder.

A hurt look crossed Ruby's face. "Sis?" Yang nodded without meeting her eyes. "O-okay, I guess- N-Violet?"

Yang's eyes slowly went back to lilac as she watched Ruby and Violet leave the cafeteria together. "I think she's just trying to help," Weiss offered.

"Blake said part of this is Ruby's fault. We can't just do nothing to help Blake! She's hurting, and I won't let her do this to herself!" Yang said.

"Which is why I have a plan."

"Huh?"

The heiress pulled a flyer from her pocket and slapped it onto the table. "Team CVFY is away on a mission right now, and it's taking longer than expected. Since they're not around to do it, I volunteered Team WBYR to help instead."

"You want us to plan a dance? How exactly does that help Blake?"

"Well, she's been super stressed and moody lately, so this will be a great way to relieve stress. Besides, planning the dance will be a wonderful team building exercise."

Yang rolled her eyes. "You just want to plan a dance, don't you?"

Weiss shrugged. "Maybe, but this will be good for you too. I think it'll definitely solve your problem."

"What?"

"Well, you're going to ask her out to the dance, so yeah, I think it will." Weiss gave her a smug smile and sat back in her chair, waiting for Yang to process what she had just said.

"But- But- You can't just do that!" Yang yelled. "How- Why- She won't want to-"

"Yes she will."

"But I can't-"

"Yes you can."

"Weiss!" Yang whined, suddenly conscious that JNPR was staring at them.

Weiss shook her head. "I won't let either of you mope around like this, and there's no reason why we can't have some fun cheering you up! Now, are you going to help me or am I going need to force you?"

Jaune opened his mouth to say something, and Yang cut him off. "Don't even think about it, Vomit Boy."

"Hey!"

She turned back to Weiss and sighed. "I'm not going to get out of this, am I?"

"Nope! We can start planning right now."

* * *

"Remember, don't do anything stupid."

Dane rolled his eyes as he pressed a hand to each of his teammate's shoulders. _Good, both of their disguises are holding strong. Genius, really, for Adam to send me to help these losers. They don't even have to change names and identities because of me._ "Look, just don't try to kill Rose or Ice Cream, Gem. Seems like you can summon that much self-restraint, at least. I'll be fine."

Emerald glared at him, then huffed and turned away. Mercury glared at him, trying to step forwards before pausing as Dane pressed his claws into his teammate's shirt. "Look, we don't need you, so maybe you could get off of your high horse for a second."

"Oh, don't need me, huh?" Dane hissed at the assassin. " _I_ am the person protecting you from Neopolitan."

"We don't even know if she's still alive, let alone here."

"That's bullshit, you heard Harkan say it just like the rest of us," he snarled. Mercury shuddered at the thought of the unnatural man. " _I_ am keeping you alive and hidden. _I_ was personally requested by Cinder and Adam to join this mission. _I_ am the one who's about to have a nice little chat with General Ironwood, who _invited_ me, his long-lost star pupil, to join him. So how about you-"

"Dane, that's enough." Emerald shoved the two boys apart, unsheathing her weapons enough to make them flinch. "Unless you want to see things that aren't there for the rest of the week, shut up!"

"See, I-"

"Mercury, that means you too."

A transport swooped down from overhead, coming to land on the launch pad they were waiting at. Dane gave Mercury a mocking salute, laughing as Emerald held him back. "So long, ladies!" he called as he walked past two Atlesian soldiers into the belly of the transport.

Atlas' flagship was a marvel of engineering, a floating fortress casting a deep shadow over the city of Vale below. Dane didn't find it the least bit intimidating. Adam had launched a raid earlier that year to blow one up on the ground, and the sheer number of flaws and security oversights was almost laughable. No, he was tense because of the man he was on his way to meet.

"Come in!" Ironwood called as he knocked on the door to his office. Dane held his head high as he walked in, walking over at the general's gesture and sitting down. "Coffee or tea?"

He nodded graciously, pouring himself a cup of tea. "General, I appreciate the invitation to meet."

"Please, no need for formalities. You aren't the same meek first year I remember, Dane – you would be a sixth year now, after all. Call me James."

 _Perfect._ Dane bobbed his head. "Of course, James. Could I ask why I'm here?"

"I have to admit I was… disappointed to learn that you had dropped out of Atlas Academy to join the White Fang, although it was entirely justified given your circumstances." Ironwood was too busy staring out at Beacon to notice Dane's face darken. "You were one of my most promising students, so I was very pleased to learn you had left and re-enrolled at Haven Academy."

Now came the lying, something Dane considered himself an expert at. Fighting to drown his anger, he said, "Adam was a brilliant leader and tactician, but I came to realize that such senseless violence was only worsening your kingdom's racism, not bettering it. I returned to my original goal, to become a hunter and protect the faunus from… what happened."

"And I am deeply sorry for my student's actions towards you-"

"-so why is he still a student at your academy? Why is he here, for a tournament made for peace?" The handle to Dane's teacup broke, and it fell onto the tray in pieces.

Ironwood met his eyes, weighing his words.

"Dane, I- It was not my intention to reopen old wounds. I just want to catch up with my former student. Could we put the past behind us, just for a moment?"

 _The past will never go away, Ironwood. You have no idea what we have planned, or how much your racist kingdom is going to suffer for it._

Dane smiled, crossing his legs as he leaned back in his chair. "You're right, James. I think I'd like to catch up as well, so let's chat."

 _And the best part? You're never gonna see it coming._

* * *

"I don't get it."

Ruby stopped scrubbing the blackboard for a moment, turning to look at her teammate. Blake's ears were curled as she stared at the ground. "Huh?" _Neo, wake up. I think she wants to talk._

 _It's about damn time. It's been what, three days?_

"How are you okay with this?" Blake hissed, pushing away from the board to glare at Ruby.

"What do you mean?"

"Any of it! Magic is real! Ozpin is an immortal wizard responsible for the creation of a fairytale! You've been walking around with her in your head all semester, which just happens to be a highly illegal aura bond! You went crazy, and now you're normal again!" Blake closed her eyes. "It doesn't make any fucking sense!"

Ruby sighed as she sat down on the desk. "But that's the thing. I'm not okay with any of this."

"Then why aren't you showing it?"

Neo jumped up from her desk and did a series of cartwheels down to the center of the lecture hall. _She's freaking out. We need to calm her down._

 _You're not exactly helping, showoff._ Ruby punched Neo's arm lightly as Blake flinched backward. "Blake-"

"What? Why am I even in here with you? Why did I have to hurt Yang to keep this a secret? Why am I- Why am I alone again? Trapped again? I- I-"

Ruby jumped off of the desk and hugged Blake as tightly as she could. "Blake, please stop! Just let us talk to you!"

"Get away from me!" Blake screeched, and the body in Ruby's arms disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Just- Just stay away!"

"I'm not a murderer!"

The room fell silent. Ruby took a deep breath as Neo looked at her with a sad half smile. _Ruby…_

 _Are you okay? Are you okay if I tell her everything?_

Neo nodded, and Ruby turned back to Blake. "Last September, I was shopping when an armed robbery happened at the store I was in. I had Cr- I had Crescent with me, so I fought back. The leader made it onto a nearby roof, and I followed after him. He tried to make the jump to his getaway airship, but my semblance was faster."

"I never meant to kill Roman Torchwick, but I refused to accept that for a long time." Ruby took a deep breath, finding the strength to continue as Neo comforted her. "I thought that nobody would ever want to see me again, that I was a monster. But I was _wrong,_ Blake."

"Neo hated me. She hated me for who I was, what I stood for, what I did to Roman. So she took it out on me. She tormented me, made me see illusions of me killing my friends and nightmares every night. She would train me to the point of aura exhaustion, then heal me, over and over again. She wanted me to be a murderer. She wanted me to be a monster. And I couldn't take it anymore. Two nights before Forever Fall, she went to far when we were training, and I snapped."

"Cardin died. Crescent is gone, and I-" Ruby wiped a tear away from her eye. "I'm still moving forward, because I've seen what we need to beat. I can't stop moving forward, because if I do I'll just break again. Neo is healing, and so am I. If we aren't okay, then the people we care about are going to get hurt."

"So all those times, when you were tired, or in the Emerald Forest, that was all because of Neo? How can you just let her be around Beacon, then? Why didn't you let Qrow kill-" Blake said before Ruby cut her off.

"It's not her fucking fault! You have no idea what her life was like, and you're missing the point! I wasn't okay, and people got hurt! I hurt Yang, I hurt Jaune, I hurt you! Two people are dead, because of me!" Ruby yelled. "And you know what? If I can't move forward, more people are going to get hurt! More people are going to die! Are you okay with that? Do you even understand that?"

"But-"

"No, there is no but! I didn't want to interact with other people because I thought I was protecting them! I thought they should stay away from me, that since I was a murderer I was dangerous, but it doesn't work, Blake!"

Blake shook her head, backing further away from Ruby and Neo. "But that doesn't answer any of my questions!"

 _Ruby, calm down._

 _No._ In a deathly calm tone, Ruby said, "I love Yang, Blake, more than anything. I'm not stupid, I'm not blind, and Neo's been helping me go through all of my memories. Yang never had real friends before Beacon."

"What?" Blake stared at Ruby. "But she's-"

"She had friends, sure, but not close ones. Nobody like you. So imagine what it does to her when her best friend tells her to leave her alone."

"Ru-"

"She cried for an hour after you finished arguing, last night. Your _best friend_ was crying above you for an hour and you did _nothing_! That's what happens when you shut yourself off! You know what the worst part about all of this is?"

"Bu-"

Ruby's aura flickered around her. "You were going to run, that night. You were going to run away and leave all of your friends behind, and according to Ozpin, you were never going to come back. I've done _nothing_ but try to be your friend, Blake! I went after you! I didn't let you go, and I'm sorry for attacking you, but you attacked me first! You heard Ozpin! Do you see why I was keeping secrets? Am I the villain now, when I had a psychopath in my head and a sword at my throat? I'm not a murderer, and none of this was my fault! It wasn't my fucking fault!"

The air rang with her screams as she slumped into Neo's arms. Neo glared at Blake with pink eyes, pulling Ruby tight against her body. Losing any last sense of composure, she broke out in tears. _Neo, I'm not. I'm not a murderer._

 _Ruby… You never were. I loved Roman, but he was an amoral man. It's what Ozpin and Pyrrha and Yang have been telling you this whole time. None of this was ever your fault._ _None of it._

"But what about the magic, and everything else?" Blake asked.

Ruby sniffed and wiped her face. "I don't give a damn. No matter what, I won't let my friends get hurt again. I lost a semester of my life because I pushed myself away from them, but I'm never going to do that again. I'm going to be with Pyrrha, and Yang, and Jaune, and Weiss, and Ren and Nora because I care about them. If you're going to hurt Yang again, if you're going to keep pushing her away, then fuck you."

The bell rang, signaling the end of their detention. Ruby stalked towards the door, followed by Neo. She paused at the exit as Blake ran down to the middle of the room and called, "Ruby, wait!"

Ruby's eyes were hard as Neo walked out past her. "I wish I had never gone after you the night that you ran."

The door slammed, and Blake sank to her knees. Alone in the dark room, she curled up into a ball and wept.

* * *

 _Done._

Neo ran her fingers over the silver gauntlets, smirking appreciatively. _Are you ready to try them out?_

Ruby loaded the weapon up with rounds of red dust, which she had borrowed from Weiss earlier. Her hands shook as she slowly slipped them over her hands and onto her wrists. Slim fingers rested on her palms, and she looked up at Neo. _I think so. I've got to keep moving forward, right?_

 _Right. What about what Qrow said?_

 _We can find somewhere alone. Do you want to go back out to the gardens?_

 _Are you okay with that?_

 _I don't know, are you going to cut my side open again?_

 _Hell no._

Beacon's arches loomed over them as they navigated the side of the school, making their way through the landscaping under the watchful full moon. Ruby couldn't help but marvel how different the grounds seemed under an air of friendship rather than servitude. She had never noticed how the starlight reflected off of Neo's pale skin, or how her hair would swing back and forth as she cut a path ahead.

Finally, they reached their usual secluded clearing. Ruby pulled out her scroll to check the time: 1:26 am. _Well, we'll probably still be out here when it hits two, so…_ "Woah, that's weird. My dad texted me ten minutes ago." She opened and read it.

 _"_ _Ruby, Oz told me everything. I can't get away from Signal right now, but I'll visit this weekend. Please don't hesitate to call me if you want to talk."_

Neo sighed at Ruby's silence as she slid her scroll closed. _Look, can we not worry about that right now? Let's just fight, hopefully that'll clear your head a bit._

Ruby sighed as she put the scroll down. _I mean, it was only a matter of time, right? He was bound to find out eventually._

 _C'mon, let's test those gauntlets out._

Ruby nodded as she brought her fists up. _Start at normal speed, no semblances?_

 _Yeah._

Ruby walked towards Neo, experimentally punching out. The gauntlets made a satisfying mechanical thunking noise each time the outer part flew forwards, something Ruby had always loved about Ember Cecila. Once she got close enough, she and Neo began exchanging light blows, getting into a rhythm. Neo relied on avoidance, but Ruby had fought her enough times that she could usually predict her next move and hit her anyways.

Also, she could read her thoughts. That helped too.

After sparring for a minute, Ruby saw an opening and cocked the gauntlet. _Let's try… this!_ A dust powered blow sent Neo stumbling backward. As she did a cartwheel to regain her balance, Ruby threw her arms out and tested her mobility. Firing rounds off to direct her movement, she sped up until she neared the speed of her semblance, then angled towards Neo. _Now, to test the snapback!_

Neo flew backward as Ruby's left gauntlet slammed into her shoulder, landing in a bush. _Holy crap that thing hurts. What does it do at max speed?_

 _I'm… not actually sure._ _I think it'll be moving about as fast as_ _a bullet, but it's so much bigger, so…_

 _Let's test it._

 _On what?_

Neo shrugged. _I'm sure Ozpin would be gracious enough to let us_ _use some of his trees._

 _I'll test it with a round too._ Cocking the gauntlets, Ruby took aim at a tree about a hundred meters away. Tapping into her aura, she shot forwards and launched her fist into the bark. The tree buckled under the impact, snapping as the part she had hit flew through another tree and over the cliff edge.

 _Okay, so moral is that a big pointy metal thing moving really fast fucks shit up. Now, let's test the blades._

It very quickly became clear that Ruby had no idea how to use the blades attached to her gauntlets. She barely blocked Neo's sword before quickly stepping back and yielding. _Okay, I was serious about not wanting you to hurt me again._

 _We can work on it. In the meantime…_

 _No close combat against people with pointy sticks?_

 _Agreed._

There was still a bit left before the time Qrow had mentioned, so Ruby and Neo walked to the edge of the cliff. Sitting down, Neo leaned against Ruby as they watched the starry night sky above, letting their legs swing over the edge below.

 _Ruby?_

 _Yeah?_

 _I was thinking about what you said to Blake, earlier today, and I- I'm glad that we're friends. I wish I had never-_

 _Stop._

 _Huh?_ Neo looked up at her as Ruby wrapped her arm around her, pulling the smaller girl closer to her. _Wh-_

 _I don't care about any of that,_ _Neo. I said that we just have to keep moving forward, right? You were grieving and I don't blame you. I'm just glad for what we have._

Neo's eyes sparkled in the starlight, deep white under the broken moon. _You're amazing, Rose._

 _So are you, Neo. I love you._

Ruby smiled as she leaned further into her partner, at peace in the chilly winter night. Neo's warmth was all she needed to ignore the cold weather, and it was all she needed in the middle of the dark night.

 _What? What did you just say?_

Ruby's smile faltered as her scroll beeped two am and a cloud drifted across the moon. _What did I say? I said… I love you._

 _…_

 _Oh._

 **[A/N] Wishing everybody a lovely holidays, served with a fresh side of Cookies and Cream. Reviews are better than presents, so thank you all for reviewing. December has five Saturdays, so as an extra present there are five chapters this month! Lots of love and safe travels to all!**

 **Signing off, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 12/30/17**


	17. V2 - Hollow

Volume Two, Chapter Seven: Hollow

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction By Pokefan87

Chapter Publish Date: 1/6/18

* * *

The stone slid down the sword's scarlet blade with an uneven screech, colliding with the wood below. Raven's shoulder jarred back on impact. Her fingertips dug harder against the cool surface, hair rocking over her shoulders into her face. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to calm herself down – she would not appear before anyone as a nervous wreck, and she refused to break her aura of strength, no matter how worthy the reason.

"You're still at it."

She sighed at Vernal's curt tone. She pushed herself off of her sword's hilt, ignoring the ache from the lingering indentation."It's never a question with you, is it?"

Vernal sighed, sitting at Raven's side and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Raven, you know you can always talk to me, right?"

"I know."

"It's one fifty-six."

Raven rose from the bench, pulling her Grimm mask up with her. The rim caught on her headscarf, pulling the neat edge out of her hair as the helm jammed against her temple. Staring through the slits, she could be weak; a necessary allowance, when her hands wanted to shake so bad she couldn't let go of her sword's hilt else Vernal would see it. The rise and fall of her chest was erratic, and anger burned at her lack of self-control. _This is your own fault, so you don't get to do this,_ she lashed at herself. _You had every moment, every possibility to kill those bastards, and you didn't: this is what you get._

"Raven, are-"

Her voice amplified in the mask, a hollow effect that always seemed to cause fear. "I trust you with the tribe. I trust you to keep our people safe. You've done well, Vernal, and I don't see why there would be any threat to us tonight."

"Of course." There was a brief scraping and a rustling of cloth. "Good luck." Raven nodded, and cold air briefly blew into the tent as Vernal slipped out the main entrance.

Raven had never been able to properly explain what her portals felt like. Summer had always said it was like folding into yourself, to which Qrow always groaned about how it made him feel sick every time. Tai… Tai had just walked through like she did and never given it a second thought.

 _Dammit Tai, why does it have to be this way?_

Beacon hadn't changed in fifteen years. She stepped out onto the grounds, gazing around warily for students or teachers. There were the old arches, the pavilion where Summer had made them do yoga once (Tai had looked _great_ in yoga pants), and the all-too-familiar clock tower looming over the whole school. That was behind her – her portal had pointed her into the forest, slipping into the trees through the shadows toward Beacon Cliff.

Raven's breath caught as she saw them.

She had never seen Ruby Rose in person before, but Qrow had shown her photographs once. Even from the back, she looked so much like Summer that it felt like a punch to the gut. Her red hood hung lazily below her short black hair, and she was peacefully leaning against Neo's petite frame.

Her vision wavered as she saw her, her multicolored hair well kept and longer than she ever remembered seeing it. The combat uniform and her weapon were different, but she looked almost the same as she had seven years ago. How could she say anything to her? What if she really didn't want to see her ever again, like she had been forced to say so many years ago? Was it all her fault?

 _What if she isn't the same person she was when she was sixteen? What if she isn't my Neo anymore?_

 _I have to know. If she is, I want her to know too._

Raven took a deep breath as Neo stiffened and pulled away from Ruby slightly. _Now._

* * *

 _Now._

Qrow gasped as the door to the airship slid open and Beacon Academy spread out in front of them. "Woah, that's so _cool_!"

Raven rolled her eyes as her brother ran out onto the docks, spinning around to take in all of his surroundings. She strode out of the aircraft's belly after him, letting her aura flare slightly around her and her hand stray to her weapon to keep the other new students at a decent distance. "You know why we're here, Qrow, so you better not forget that."

"Father isn't here, relax. No reason we can't have some fun while we're here!" Qrow called as he ran up ahead towards the assembled students ready for the commencement ceremony.

"Qrow," Raven muttered, speeding up to catch up with him. She ignored her surroundings, blowing through a group of students that didn't get out of her way fast enough.

If it wasn't for their stupid father, they wouldn't have to go to the damn combat school, filled with all of the idealistic uppity hunters she despised…

"Hey! Are you just going to walk away?"

Raven sighed and spun around on her heel, glaring at the girl standing behind her. She wore a white hood and held a long weapon she didn't recognize that was at least a foot taller than her small frame. Her silver eyes stared at her defiantly as she stood in front of a tiny faunus girl sprawled out on the ground. "What do you want?"

The girl pulled her hood back, letting her short black hair show. "You just knocked that girl over! Are you just going to walk away without saying sorry?"

"Yes." Raven turned back around and walked away.

"So you're a bully, then."

Raven jumped as the girl appeared in front of her in a cloud of white petals. "Who exactly are you?"

"My name is Summer Rose," she snapped, clutching her weapon to her chest. "And you're going to go apologize to that girl. It's the first day of school, and you're already being an asshole."

"Look, _Rose_. I'm not here to help my fellow hunters or any of that bullshit." Raven narrowed her eyes and let her sword slip out of its scabbard. "She was in my way. If she can't even keep her balance in an idle encounter, she has no business in a combat school. Now, why don't you get your pigsticker out of my way."

Summer's eyes flared as she twirled her weapon around her body to point it at Raven's chest. "For your information, this is a high caliber rifle and a modified naginata, and I will stop you. Go apologize!"

She laughed. "Well, you're stubborn, aren't you? No." Before Summer could react, she had cut a portal open with her sword and stepped through.

Qrow raised an eyebrow at her as she stepped out next to him. "What happened to your semblance being your 'secret weapon?'"

"It was nothing, just some annoying girl," Raven muttered. They stood in the swelling crowd as the headmaster, Professor Ozpin, walked up to the microphone and cleared his throat.

"Hello students, and welcome to Beacon Academy!"

* * *

 _Oh._

Ruby caught her breath as she stared straight ahead, not daring to move. No, she couldn't have been thinking that, why would she have been thinking that?

 _I have to go._

 _Neo, wait, no! I didn't mean it, I swear, I-_

 _You can't lie to me, Ruby. I can hear your thoughts, I know when you're lying to me. That- That wasn't- I-_

 _But-_

Neo pulled away from Ruby, who sat up after her shoulder rest came out from under her head. _Ruby, I'm not going to_ _run away, but I don't want to hurt you and need to think about this._ _Alone, where you can't hear me._

"Neo."

Ruby froze at the unknown voice coming from behind them. A moment of silent agreement passed between them, and she jumped off of the cliff edge and cocked her gauntlets. A woman wearing red in a Grimm mask stood behind them, a long sword at her side. "Who are you?"

Neo's sword clattered to the ground, and Ruby spun around to look at her. Shock spread across her face as the woman took her mask off, revealing red eyes and a hopeful smile. _Raven?_ Launching herself forwards, she threw her arms around her, clinging to her red body armor.

"You're alive. You're really alive," Raven whispered as she hugged her back.

Ruby let her gauntlets slip back into their unloaded position, feeling uncomfortably close to the mess of emotions writhing inside of Neo. _Why is she here?_ Here was the woman who abandoned Yang, here was the woman who named and cared for Neo, so how was she supposed to feel?

 _What- How- Why-_ Neo started crying into Raven's chest as the older woman rocked her tightly, hushing her and pulling her hair out of her face.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Neo. After what he did, I thought you were dead. I found your dagger, and- and- I-" Raven choked back tears, pulling Neo tighter against her.

 _Raven, I-_ Neo's thoughts froze. _I can't talk to her anymore. I'm never going to be able to talk to her again. I- I can't-_

 _Neo, I can talk for you._

 _But it won't be the same. Nothing is ever going to be the same again!_

 _Neo, she's waiting for you to say something. Do you want to talk through me?_

 _No! I want to talk to her myself! I wanna- I-_

Ruby sighed, desperately wanting to hug Neo herself but terrified of losing the moment. _Are you okay if I tell her?_

 _I- Just do it._

"Raven."

Raven looked up at Ruby, and recognition and anger flashed through her eyes before she fought her expression back to neutral. "Ruby Rose. So you're the one controlling Neo now."

"I don't control her," she said, harsher than she would have liked. "You need to know that Neo can't talk anymore. She's mute."

 _Why'd you snap at her?_

 _I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! It's just hard, she's Yang's mom and she abandoned her, and I wasn't expecting this!_

 _You're going to make her leave again!_ Neo's voice came wild and fearful across their bond, and Ruby's heart broke. There was nothing she could do to help Neo, nothing she could do to fix her, and it hurt.

Raven's eyes widened, and she looked down at Neo for confirmation. Neo's eyes burned with shame as she opened her mouth to show Raven her missing tongue. She gaped, then hugged Neo even tighter than before. "Who did this? Was it _him_?"

Neo nodded into her chestplate, breaking down even further. _It was that night._

 _What?_ "She says it was that night," Ruby relayed hesitantly, tensing as Raven broke away and drew her sword. The Branwen leader screamed in rage as she shot into the forest, cutting down trees and carving through shrubs with a brutal ease. _What night?_ Neo didn't respond. Ruby rushed forwards as she sank to her knees, only to stop short as a wall of illusionary spikes blocked her path. _Neo, talk to me! Please, you can tell me what's wrong!_

 _You want to know what's wrong? I haven't seen Raven in seven years because of_ them, _and you're ruining it just as much as they would have!_

Ruby stumbled backward, her heart wrenching as the spikes shot towards her and shattered in a wall of blue sparkles. The grass was cool against her cloak, the dew soaking into the red fabric. _I'm just worri-_

 _Why,_ _b_ _ecause you love me?_ Her tone was twisted with bitterness. _I_ never _thought I would see Raven again. All I want is for you to get out of my fucking head!_ _I don't want you to help me! I just want to have my own thoughts, and if you're just going to ruin this for me, maybe you are like them!_

 _No._

 _Huh?_

Ruby shook her head, tearing up as she crawled away from Neo. _You don't mean that._ _I'm not like them! You said no matter what I could never be like them! I would never do that to you, or anything like what they did!_

 _Like how you've been giving me minor orders and never apologizing since you woke up? Like how you knocked me out the night you snapped? Like how you've been slowly leeching out all of my worst memories about them, no matter how hard I try to stop you?_

 _I'm not like them!_

 _Then stop treating me like it!_ Neo screamed at her. _Stop taking me for granted! This is why I was trying to control you! This is why I was trying to break you! The first fucking second I stopped, you stopped thinking about me and how I feel! If you really love me, then why don't you care about what you're doing to me?_

 _You take that back!_

The green light slammed into Neo's body, flaring brightly as she desperately tried to resist it with all of her will. Giving up, she slumped from the effort, glistening eyes glaring daggers at Ruby. _You know what? You're not like them. I think you're worse because_ _you_ _'re just a_ _stupid awkward fifteen-year-old who only got to play with the big kids because of a pigsticker that's now_ _just_ _a hunk of scrap metal buried next to your dead mother!_

A brief primal urge to get up and attack Neo swept over Ruby, but she fought it down until she was left with nothing. The fight went out of her body, and she simply slumped further to the ground in tears. It felt as though Neo had just carved a hole through her with every insecurity she knew about her, worse than Cardin or Harkan or even Blake. Her face burned as she curled up, covering her ears to block out her surrounding.

 _Ruby, I- That was uncalled for, I'm sorry._

 _…_

 _I want to go with Raven._ Neo's voice wavered, and Ruby could feel her turn away to look out over Beacon Cliff. She paused, waiting for her to say something, but Ruby didn't respond. _I need to think. About us. About what you said. All of it. I think… I think I've needed this since Roman died. I need to grieve. I need to think. I need to be alone._

 _…_

 _Please…_

Raven stalked back out of the woods and sheathed her sword, only to stop short as she took in Ruby on the ground and Neo looking away. "What happened?"

 _Talk through me._

 _What? Really?_

 _I don't want to talk to her. Do it._

"Raven, I- I want to go with you, for a little bit."

Raven stared at Ruby. "Why would I take _you_ with me?"

"Not Ruby, me." Neo walked up to Raven, her eyes pure white as illusions flickered around her body.

"You do?" Raven echoed faintly, before breaking out into a broad genuine smile. "Of course you can, Neo. You always have a home with the tribe, no matter what happens. When do you want to leave?"

"Now." Ruby dug her fingernails into her thigh as she forced herself to relay Neo's words exactly as she said them. "It won't be forever, but I want to tell you everything." _I'll be back – I'll be back soon, but I need a week to myself, Ruby._

 _I'm sorry._

* * *

"How is she?"

Weiss sighed as she closed the door behind her, frowning at Yang. "I don't know. She still won't move, and she barely even acknowledged me when I brought her coffee!"

"Well, did it have-"

"Yes, I put a preposterous amount of sugar in. Of course I know how my teammates like their coffee!" she snapped. Yang leaned against the wall with her arm covering her eyes, and her expression fell. "I'm sorry, Yang. I just don't know how to help her like this."

Yang shook her head. The door creaked open again, and she turned eagerly before the hope drained from her eyes. Deep shadows lined Blake's eyes as she slammed the door shut behind her, walking blankly past her teammates towards the cafeteria. Her hair was disheveled, and Gambol Shroud was already strapped to her back.

"Blake, what are you doing?" Yang called after her.

Blake turned back and shrugged, a blank look in her eyes. "Ruby's made it pretty clear what she thinks of me. I have to get ready for the protest today." The cat faunus turned back around only to walk facefirst into one of Weiss' glyphs. She glared up at her. "What was that for?"

"Our teammate cried herself to sleep last night, and you're not allowed to pretend like you aren't a part of Team WBYR right now!" Weiss exclaimed. "Have you even looked at yourself in the mirror this morning? Blake, I don't know what the hell is going on with you, but you're not going anywhere until you go take a shower and relax! I refuse to be the sole functional person on my team!"

"But-"

Weiss glared at her, fed up with all of the drama happening around her. "Blake Belladonna. I don't know what your problem with Ruby is. I don't know what your problem with Yang is. Quite honestly, I don't care. It ends now. Your protest isn't until this afternoon, so go take a shower!" She yanked the door open with a gravity glyph, shoved Blake inside, then locked it with another glyph.

"Well, that was frosty," Yang quipped before Weiss turned on her.

"And you!"

Yang tried to grin, which just ended up looking like a twisted half smile. "Me?"

"Stop worrying so much about Ruby and stop moping! Go eat breakfast and start planning this damn dance!"

"I don't have the book, though."

Weiss muttered to herself as she undid her glyph and stomped into the dorm room, grabbing her massive team leader planner that had been gathering dust since the third day of school and shoving it into Yang's arms. "Party planning is in section twenty-three. You can blame my father for that." She took a deep breath as Yang took the book, hanging her head slightly. "Look, Yang… I'm sure Ruby will be okay, so can we stop worrying about her for a second? It'll be good to take your mind off of things, plus I'll be up here with her."

Yang sighed, shaking her head at the book in her arms. "Can I just say how glad I am we stopped you from using old man Jacques' book?"

"Are you _trying_ to annoy me?" Weiss asked, her eye twitching.

"Relax, Weiss. I'm on it, trust me." Yang smiled again, and this time it was genuine. "You're a good leader. I don't think I would want anyone else bossing me around but you, Ice Queen. Take care of Rubes for me, will ya?"

Sighing, she nodded as her teammate walked away. "Of course I will, silly. What else would I be doing?"

The dorm room was dark. Ruby shifted slightly under her covers as Weiss settled down at her desk with her history textbook, turning on only her smallest light so as to not disturb her partner. The shower was on, and two sets of gauntlets peacefully rested on the bookshelf under the window.

"Weiss?"

She looked up from the book as Pyrrha stuck her head into the room. Putting her finger to her lips, she rose from the desk again and slipped out of the room. They crossed the hall to JNPR's dorm, where Jaune and Nora were peacefully reading and Ren was in a meditative pose on his bed. Pyrrha sat down next Jaune, looking back to the doorway where Weiss lingered. "Weiss, what's going on? We heard the commotion last night, and then Yang was the only one who showed up to breakfast. She said to ask you."

Weiss groaned as she went in and flopped onto Pyrrha's empty bed. "Team drama. It's awful, you shouldn't worry about it. Yang and Blake got into a massive argument, and Ruby and Blake have been at each other's throats for ages. Then last night, Ruby comes in sobbing at four am – I don't know, it's a mess."

"Is there anything that we can do?" Jaune asked, leaning forwards. "You guys are our friends, we'd love to help if we can."

"No, I'm the team leader, this is my responsibility," Weiss said. "Well, actually… Talking to people who seem sane could be nice. What's new with you guys?"

Jaune put his comic down. "Well, Pyrrha and I are actually going on a date tomorrow."

Weiss grinned at them, relaxing onto the bed and letting the tenseness slip away. _It's not just the rest of them – I need to calm down too. Ruby will still be there in fifteen minutes, but for right now,_ _I just need to relax and talk to my friends so I can still be a good leader tonight_ _…_ "Really? That's wonderful, tell me everything!"

* * *

"Hey, Blake!"

"Ah!" Blake stumbled off of the last step out of the aircraft, dropping into a roll. Drawing Gambol Shroud, she pointed it at Sun's throat.

Sun stumbled backward and threw his hands up. "Woah, woah there! Chill out, it's just me!"

Around her, people backed away from her weapon in fear. Her ears flattened against her head in embarrassment, muttering a quick apology to the crowd before quickly walking towards the city. _No, I am not going to spend an entire afternoon talking to this idiotic thoughtless boy._

"So, has anyone ever told you that you're hotter when you're pointing your sword at someone?" Sun winced at her furious glare and looked away. "Okay, so no jokes. Got it."

"What do you want, Sun?"

"Well, you did tell me to come to this protest, so here I am!" He spread his arms wide, giving the entire street a great view of his six-pack. An elderly woman whistled at him, and he winked back before Blake hit his arm. "Ow!"

"I said you should come, I never said I would go with you!" she exclaimed, her ears flattening against her head as she turned away and walked into the edge of the crowd.

Sun scowled before running after her. "Hey, don't be like that? You're just about the only faunus I know in Vale, and I don't wanna stand in the crowd alone."

"Look, can you stop trying to ask me out?" Blake said, spinning around on her heel. "First off, I'm interested in somebody else. Second, I think you already blew your chance at the coffee shop."

"What? No, I already got that, I didn't think this was a date. I mean, yeah, you're hot, but you already shot me down." Sun shrugged. "I just figured you seemed pretty moody and lonely last time, so chances are you would be this time too if I didn't show up to keep you company."

"I am not moody!"

"And there it is! Seriously, you could win an award for it. So, how does this protest thing work anyway?"

Blake's hand strayed to her weapon; it would be so satisfying to attack him if there hadn't been a crowd of several hundred unarmed faunus surrounding her. "We gather to show the people of Vale and the world that we won't stand for the injustice and discrimination that killed Tuskon Lupa, and treats us like second class citizens! We're fed up with it, which is something that you Vacuans clearly don't understand."

Sun was silent for a moment, then said, "Well, yeah, I got that part. What does it accomplish?"

"What do you mean?"

He waved his hand at their surroundings. "What does doing this change? Is there a point to being here?"

"Of course there is! Nothing will ever change if we just sit back and do nothing, you should know that much!" Blake exclaimed as they made their way towards the stage. "I've been fighting for our equality my entire life."

"But has anything changed?"

Blake stared at Sun, who was looking back at her with an intense expression alien to his face. "I-"

"Thank you to everyone who came out today!" Blake started and turned towards the stage. On it, a woman with spiraling gazelle horns held a sleek black megaphone. "My name is Lilianne Heath, and I'm here today representing the Vale Union for Faunus Equality! Thank you all for coming, but we are in mourning just as much as we are in protest."

"As all of you probably know, Tukson Lupa was killed on his way to work approximately a week and a half ago. He was not armed, and he never activated his aura when the Vale military stopped him. He made no move to escape, or to fight back." Lilianne closed her eyes and shook her head. "No. Tukson put his trust in the people who are supposed to protect all of us, and they murdered him in cold blood!"

The crowd roared, now swelled to twice the size it had been when they had arrived. Sun turned to Blake and whispered, "She seems like a good speaker."

"She is, Adam and I used to have to negotiate with her before we did raids, back when he would actually think through the consequences of his actions," Blake muttered back, not taking her eyes away from the speaker on the stage.

"Wait, Adam? You don't mean Adam Taurus, do you? The What Fang fanatic?"

Blake cursed at herself. _Fuck, I totally forgot I hadn't told him. Why does everything in my life have to go to shit right now?_ "I didn't say anything, forget it."

The speaker had started talking again, but Sun ignored her and zeroed in on Blake. "Wait, Blake, were you a part of the White Fang?"

Blake opened and closed her mouth, considering lying before realizing the damage was done. A quick glance at the crowd around her showed no way to get away, so she sighed and turned back to Sun. "Yeah, I was. I used to be, but I left after they got too violent. Don't ask things like that so loudly!"

"Right, sorry, forgive me if that's just a little surprising!" he whispered back. "Is that why you care so much about all of this?"

"Well, I mean yeah, that's a part of it, but I would still care even if I hadn't been. Don't you?" Blake leaned in closer to him, her stomach twisting as he flinched away slightly. "We were fighting for equality, Sun! I was practically born into it, at the front of every protest, every march, every demonstration. Even after they turned violent, I thought we were still working for what was right."

The speaker paused for a moment, and the crowd erupted into a chorus of cheers. Sun's tail swayed back and forth, staring ahead with his brow furrowed. "So what made you leave then?"

 _Adam._ "We were doing a raid on a train. They were going to blow it up with the conductor and crew inside. I stopped them."

"And you're still fighting." It was a statement, not a question, and Blake just nodded as she turned her attention back to the stage.

Blake and Sun didn't talk for the rest of the protest as Lilianne finished her speech and stepped down from the microphone. The crowd buzzed and chanted, pulsing against concrete building and streets with anger and energy. Blake joined in, and to her surprise, so did Sun. When she shot him a questioning look, he grinned and said, "This is a protest, right? I'm protesting!"

The protest flew by as Blake lost herself in the people around herself. For the first time since the semester had started, her thoughts about Ruby drifted away as she focused on the protest around her. Too fast, the organizers had begun to pack up and the crowds dispersed, simmering down to a low murmur as the pack of people dissipated into the surrounding streets. "Sun."

"Huh?" Sun started as he ran to catch up to Blake, who had already started heading back to the docks.

"I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you earlier," she said, twirling Gambol Shroud's ribbon around her hand. "It's just… there's a lot going on right now, and I- I think I needed this, to clear my head a bit."

"Wanna talk about it?" Sun stopped and pointed at a cafe they had just passed. "Mighta missed something, but the faunus at the counter makes it seem like we'll be okay there."

Blake paused for a moment, then made a decision. "Sure, why not? Lead the way." They ordered and found a table, this time cozily tucked in the back nook of the shop. She shrugged her coat off and set her weapon down on top of it. "You really want that latte, don't you?"

"Hey, what can I say?" Sun crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back. "I have an appreciation for the finer things in life."

"Right..."

Blake sighed as she took her drink from the waiter and took a sip. "I… don't know what to do."

"Is this about your team? Mine's pretty decent, usually – Scarlet can be a bit of a pain sometimes but we're pretty chill."

"No- Well, yeah, it is." She looked at his sandy hair and ruffled shirt, biting back a sigh. _I can't tell him everything. Really, I can't tell him anything._ "I already told you about Weiss, right?"

Sun nodded. "What about the other two?"

 _What about them?_ "Well, they're sisters. Ruby and Yang."

"Sisters, huh? What are they like?

Blake laughed, shaking her head. "What are they like? God, I-" _I don't even know what I can say, about either of them._ "Well, Ruby is, well- Do you know anything about Ruby Rose?"

He blinked. "You're kidding me. You're telling me you're on the same team as the SDC heiress and the chick who killed that Torchwick guy?"

"Yang believes in Ruby, more than anything. According to her, before Beacon, she was sweet and energetic, innocent even. Since then, she's… changed."

Sun leaned forwards, the carefree expression slipping off his face. "Changed… What do you mean by that?"

"When she got to Beacon, she was depressed, which was understandable since she had just killed someone. After that, though, she started to get moody. She would lash out at all of us. Yang tried not to show it, but that hurt her the most. Ruby would be violent, sometimes. There was a student, Cardin Winchester, who would bully her. One day, she just… opened her scythe and slammed him into the wall."

"Isn't Cardin Winchester the one who died?"

Blake nodded. "Even when Ruby was at her worst, she never stopped trying to be friends with me. I guess- After the White Fang, I was so afraid to be close to other people again, and then _she_ comes along." Burying her face in her hands, she whispered, "She reminded me so much of Adam, so I assumed… I thought I was right, I thought what I did was justified, but… But it wasn't! I betrayed her trust, and then everything just spiraled from there, and- and-"

"Blake." Sun's electric blue eyes were piercing. "What happened?"

"I couldn't sleep, and I notice Ruby wasn't sleeping either. I wanted to know where she was, so I went looking for her. Sun, she was working herself to death. She- That's why she was so tired all the time. I- What did I do?" Blake's eyes prickled with tears, and Sun waved his hand in her face.

"Hey, stay with me. What happened?" he repeated.

"Her semblance is speed. She was running through a training exercise, using her semblance, at max speed, over and over again to the point of exhaustion," she whispered, her ears flattening. "I never hated her. I thought she was killing herself. I never wanted to hate her."

"Why was she doing that to herself?" Sun whispered.

"I can't tell you. There are so many things I know now that I'm never going to be able to tell anyone. I went to help her. Suddenly, she asked me if I was a Faunus, and I- I panicked. I ran. She ran after me. I attacked her, and she beat me like I was nothing. She's so fast, it's nearly impossible to land a hit on her. She made me promise I wouldn't leave, and she promised she would tell me what was happening in return, but she didn't!"

"She lied to you?" Sun asked.

"I really am truly sorry that I can't explain to you why this happened, but she was under a lot of pressure. That didn't make it hurt any less, and I hated her for trapping me, for forcing me to stay. I still hate her for making me stay."

"But… You actually wanted to leave them behind? Your friends?"

Blake's fist shook as she stared at the table. "I still do, but I can't, and it's my fault."

"Why?"

"I hurt people, Sun." She couldn't bring herself to look at him, to acknowledge his concerned gaze. "That's why I tried to stay distant, because when people get to know me they just get hurt."

"Blake, what happened?"

"What happened? Nothing. I called her a monster, and everything was fine for a week. After that, she just… snapped. No warning. No explanation. She just woke up one morning unresponsive and violent. The next day, she was attacked in Forever Fall and went into a coma, and Cardin Winchester was dead."

"Holy shit."

"And after she woke up, our first day back this semester, we blew up at each other." Blake closed her eyes and shook her head. "She asked why I wasn't wearing my bow. I called her scythe, which was destroyed, a pig sticker. We both got sent to the headmaster's office, and I told them everything, and now I'm trapped. I'm trapped in a tiny cage with nobody but my friends, and it's only a matter of time until I hurt them more than I already have."

Finally, she built up the courage to look at Sun, who was gawking at her.

"I'm going."

"Blake, wait!" Sun jumped out of his chair and ran after her as she slipped back into the cold January air.

"Didn't you listen to me? I hurt everyone I meet, and I hurt the people I care about the most! How could you-" She froze as Sun wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Get off of me!"

"I don't believe you." Blake flushed as Sun, who was not letting go of her, shook his head.

"Creep! I told you to-" she said, then paused as he released her. "You mean I just poured all of that out to you and you don't believe me?"

"Look, Blake, I don't know you very well yet, but you don't hurt everyone you meet." Sun stared at her seriously. "I mean it. Running away isn't going to solve your problems."

"But I'm _right,_ Sun. Ruby wanted to be my friend, and I made her hate me. I love Yang, but I pushed her away anyways! I told her to get away from me because I was too scared to lie to her and too dumb to tell the truth, and now she wants nothing to do with me, and-" A hand rested on her head, and she looked back at him in stunned silence.

"Look, you didn't tell me about Yang yet, but if you love her, how do you think she'll feel if you run away?" Sun asked.

"If I… love her?"

"Well, yeah, you did just kinda say you love her. I mean, it would explain why you wouldn't want to date me, I get it… Blake?"

 _I… love Yang?_

Blake backed away from Sun, her eyes slowly widening as she thought back over the last couple of months. Meeting Yang, the Emerald Forest, all the nights studying and training and living and being together, and… and… _Fuck._

Sun started as Blake sprinted away towards the docks. "Blake, wait! Where are you going?"

 _But if I- If I love Yang-_

 _What have I done?_

"Help!"

Blake skidded to a halt, Sun at her heels, at the edge of a crowd of people. Many were holding their scrolls out and filming something in front of them. She gasped as she walked around and saw two Atlesian soldiers holding down and beating a pair of faunus. Her eyes widened, and she asked the person next to her, "Why is nobody doing anything?"

"They're Atlesian soldiers, what are we supposed to do?" he responded with wild eyes.

Gritting her teeth, Blake dashed forwards and threw herself in between the Atlesian soldiers and the now prone citizens. Ignoring Sun's cries of protest, she activated her aura and said, "Stop! This is illegal!"

"The animals were breaking the law, ma'am, and now you're getting in our way," one of the soldiers spat.

Blake's eyes narrowed. "I am a huntress. Tell me what laws they were breaking."

"Really? A pretty little thing like you wouldn't-"

"Shut it," the other soldier said as he elbowed his partner in the side. "We received reports that the White Fang would be attending this protest. These two were suspects, and they were uncooperative."

"Blake, this is dangerous! Activate your aura!" Sun yelled, and she shook her head. _I won't give them a reason to attack me!_

"So you just attacked them because they might be White Fang members? Did they fight back? Did you try to apprehend them non-violently?" Blake hissed as one soldier put his hand on his gun. "Or were you just beating them while they were down?"

"It's our job to protect the citizens from terrorists," the diplomatic soldier said as the other scowled resentfully and let his gun slip back down.

"Yeah, well Vale isn't Atlas. Just because your country locks us away in mines doesn't mean you can do that here." Bitterly, Blake added, "I know General Ironwood personally. I will get both of you stripped of your ranks." _I wish I didn't, but it's true._

"Stand down, huntress. You are obstructing official military conduct."

"No." Blake glared back at the soldiers. "I won't let you hurt these people."

"Terrorists aren't people," the other soldier growled. "Maybe you're a part of the White Fang too, huh? Is that why you're defending them?"

Blake's eyes widened, shock betraying her. "No, I, um-"

"I knew it. Get out of the way, animal."

She didn't see the punch coming until it collided with the side of her head. Falling to the ground, the last thing she heard was Sun's shout before the world went black.

* * *

Ruby's hair had always had red streaks.

There was a memory she wrapped around her shaking fingers, the same ghostly tugging that called to her anytime she tried to comb through it. Summer's hair had been red too, she had always liked to think, just like she had a kind smile and glowing silver eyes. Her aura parted ways as she dove inwards, searching for the silver core that linked her to her mom. She found the thread, stretched into the distance and devoid of the crackling white and black of Neo's aura.

 _Neo, I'm scared. Where are you? Why aren't you here?_

She felt so hollow. She felt so cold in the winter air, her cloak billowing behind her in the morning wind. She had never felt more alone in her entire life.

The armor around her power broke as she tapped into the silver, letting it pulse outwards into her aura. It didn't all rush out at once this time; she didn't let it. Her eyes burned as the power slipped out in a slow trickle, her scream ripping up the school grounds as she threw her arms and her head back and burned the world around her. Her emptiness escaped in a raging blizzard, ripping in a vicious spiral around her body to mirror the turmoil clenching her chest.

 _What did I do wrong?_

Rooftop windows had shattered around her, deep gouges in the concrete beside and below her coated crystal white. Below her, rows of trees had been refrosted into icicle pines, staring back up at with mocking shadows. 'This is where you failed. This is where you became one of them.'

"I'M NOT!" Ruby screamed as she launched herself off the roof. Cocking her gauntlets, she disintegrated into a cloud of rose petals before slamming her fist through one of the trees. _I'LL NEVER BE ONE OF THEM! I WON'T HURT YOU LIKE THAT, NEO!_

There was no response, no twinge of recognition to salve the emptiness and loathing festering inside of her. Shooting forwards, she took her hurt out on the forest, punching her way through the crystallized trees with burning eyes and a corona of crimson aura flickering around her.

"Are ya done destroying school property yet, kiddo?"

Ruby skidded to a halt in the middle of her rampage. Her breath came in deep gasps, and she looked down at the ground. "Go away, Qrow."

"Hey, I just want to talk, okay? I wanted to appol-"

"GO AWAY!"

Qrow jumped out of the way as Ruby shot past him, then ducked as she rebounded off the tree behind him. Ruby pushed herself harder and faster, letting her aura flow around her body as she landed one, then ten hits on Qrow in furious succession.

"Stop!" Qrow yelled as he drew his scythe and cut through where Ruby had been.

Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the scythe, only red and burning in Harkan's hands. Baring her teeth, she launched herself at Qrow at max speed, spiraling through the air as she burned through an entire round of shots. Qrow brought his scythe up to counter, but Ruby wasn't angling for him. Backflipping over him, she punched him square in the back and ripped the scythe out of his hands.

 _I won't let you destroy Crescent again!_

Qrow staggered back to his feet as the scythe spiraled around Ruby's body at a frightening speed. She slammed the scythe's tip into the ground, her eyes glowing with aura. "This is your fault. All of this."

"Ruby, you need to calm down." Qrow said, raising his hands with as much calm as he could muster. "You're overreacting."

"You told Ozpin. You told Raven. You didn't even _talk_ to me before you tried to FUCKING KILL HER!"

"I came to apolog-"

"I don't want your stupid apology! I care about her more than I ever did about you! You're not even my real uncle!" A blade of satisfaction twisted in Ruby's gut as Qrow staggered back. "She's gone because of you, and now you're trying to use Crescent against me!"

Qrow sprinted out of the way as Ruby launched herself at him in a deadly spiral, desperately trying to escape years of combat training with a scythe. He leaped from tree to tree as she carved her way after him until there was nowhere else to go. Trapped and facing down Ruby's scythe, his form melded like water and he spiraled into the sky.

Ruby stopped attacking in stunned shock. Qrow flew towards Ozpin's office, and she collapsed to her knees. _Did he just-_

Qrow's scythe clattered to the decimated garden dirt as she hung her head. She knew this weapon. The first time she held a scythe, hours of practice and countless more helping Qrow modify it in the workshop, practice matches from ages ago. A Grimm and a bleeding leg, saved by her uncle and his scythe.

She had wanted to be like Qrow so badly. For years, she would beg him to use it every time he came around. She had modeled Crescent Rose off of this weapon, had her first battle with it against this weapon, gone Grimm hunting with him with their dual scythes.

This weapon would never be Crescent Rose.

Crescent Rose was never coming back.

Ruby doubled over and broke down, cradling her knees as she pressed her forehead to the frozen ground. Why was she so cold? Why was she so empty? Why was she so alone?

 _I'm sorry, Neo._

 _"_ Miss Rose!"

She let the darkness take her.

* * *

 **[A/N] Happy 2018 everybody! Several orders of business:**

 **First, I apologize for being so late with this chapter. I just wasn't able to get the last one done in time, between travel and family and whatnot. To make up for it, this chapter is nearly eight thousand words, so enjoy the extra long slice of re:Bound.**

 **Second, we just hit 100k words! Thank you all so much for this amazing journey so far, the second time is no less surreal than the first. A special shout-out to all of the regular reviewers who've helped me get here, you guys are amazing.**

 **Third, I've officially changed my username: Allison Illuminated. On a similar note, this is also the official launch of my tumblr here, where I post fanfiction specific writing advice and also my occasional fanart. Check it out from my profile!**

 **Thank you for all of the kind words and notes everyone has left me in my one-week absence. Please remember to review – your feedback is always amazing. Thank you so much for reading, and next week I _will_ be on time to post.**

 **Much love, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 1/13/18**


	18. V2 - Aftershocks

Volume Two, Chapter Eight: Aftershocks

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction By Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 1/13/18

* * *

Beams of light drifted down into the austere hospital wing, spilling down Yang's golden hair. Her head nodded as she slept softly, sitting in a chair between her two teammates. Across from her, Weiss paced back and forth anxiously. Blake's face was bruised and swollen, and she tossed and turned restlessly in her sleep. On the other hand, Ruby expression was disturbed but she slept peacefully.

Weiss sighed, staring at her three sleeping teammates. _What on earth am I going to do with them?_

"Miss Schnee, you seem troubled."

She laughed bitterly as she turned around to face Professor Ozpin. "Forgive me if two of my teammates are in the hospital wing, and the third refuses to leave their side."

"Come with me for a moment, would you? I would like to talk with you, and it wouldn't do to disturb the rest of Team WBYR."

Weiss followed Ozpin into a small sitting room directly adjacent to the infirmary, sitting down in a plush red armchair. The tension rushed out of her body, and she hung her head back and sighed. "What do you want to talk about, Professor?"

Ozpin poured himself a cup of coffee from the sidebar and sat down across from her. "Weiss, I wanted to discuss your team with you. You have far exceeded my expectations for you, and I thought I might be able to assuage some of your concerns."

"What do you mean, exceeded expectations?"

He sighed. "I want to be direct with you because I believe you have proven yourself to be capable and resourceful in the face of your teammate's adversity. When your team originally formed, you were not going to be the leader."

Weiss' brain went blank, and she stared at Ozpin. "I don't- I don't understand."

"Jacques was always a troubled man, and I was curious when you applied to my school. Your father was not a leader of a team while he was a student at this academy, but that never stopped him from manipulating his way into power. I was concerned that you would follow in his footsteps, so I was originally determined to keep you out of the role of team leader." He smiled at her. "Thankfully, I was mistaken. You have been an exemplary leader."

"W-wait, so who was supposed to be the leader instead of me?"

"Miss Rose."

Weiss gaped at him. "You cannot be serious! Ruby- We love her, but she's moody and violent and unstable! How could she have been a leader? She barely even talks to us, forget about organizing fights and activities and training and-"

"I have made more mistakes in my life than anyone on Remnant, Miss Schnee. When Ruby killed Roman Torchwick, something happened that I would not burden you with the details of. I recognized the signs, but I failed to help her. I was too late, and she went into her coma. Then, I let my fear overcome my judgment, and my rash actions broke Ruby's trust in me even further. I am afraid I am at fault for her current predicament, and for that, I am deeply regretful."

She was speechless, at a complete loss for words as to how to respond. "I don't understand. Why are you telling me this?"

"I believe Professor Port once told you that your team's trust is the most important quality in a leader, no?" She nodded hesitantly, the conversation still fresh in her mind. _Did Professor Port tell him about that?_ "That trust is a burden, Weiss. You must understand this; you are not at fault for your teammate's situation. Ruby carries a deeply dangerous burden with her, and Blake and Yang have both been affected by it, more than you may understand. It is your responsibility now to care for them, to lift them up, no matter what happens."

Weiss stared up at the headmaster's burning green eyes, shifting in her seat. The weight of his words began to sink in, and she suddenly felt overwhelmed. "Professor, I don't understand. I don't know how to help them! No matter what I do, they just keep getting worse and worse. Can't you just tell me what's wrong?"

"Did your father ever educate you on the power of secrets, Weiss?"

"Knowledge is power, is that what you mean?"

"Not quite. Ruby and Blake both know quite a good deal more than anyone ever should at their age, and, well... The results are obvious. I will not- I refuse to subject you and Miss Xiao Long to that same sentence for the time being."

"I don't understand," Weiss echoed faintly.

"Help them heal, Weiss." Suddenly, Ozpin sounded old beyond his years. "I have already done too much, and I am afraid my actions, along with the actions of your professors, can only make matters worse at this point. You and Miss Xiao Long may still be able to help them yet. Please, tell Yang what I told you, and help Ruby and Blake work out their differences even though you don't know what they are."

"How can you ask so much of me and not even tell me what's going on? How am I supposed to help them when I don't even know what's hurting them?" Weiss exclaimed, standing up from her chair. All of this. This is crazy, and- What is he keeping from me?

"Trust them."

"What?"

Ozpin walked to the door, letting his hand rest on the doorknob. "Professor Port taught you that you have to earn your teammate's trust, but that's only half of it. You must trust that they keep this secret to protect you. You never have to lead alone, Weiss. I hope you can learn to believe that, someday.

"Professor Ozpin?" she called as he stepped through the door.

"I wish you the best of luck on your dance. Good day." He nodded at her, then walked down the hall away from her without a second glance.

Weiss' head spun as she stared at the empty doorframe, trying and failing to understand what she had been told. _What secret could possibly be so important that Yang and I can't even know it? If it's a secret, why would he tell me that?_

Trust.

She didn't understand. She couldn't make sense of any of it.

When she walked back into the infirmary, Ruby and Blake were both still out but Yang was alert in her chair looking around in confusion. When her eyes rested on the leader, she relaxed slightly. "I was wondering where you had gone."

"Look, Yang..." Weiss sighed, strengthening her resolve before turning back to her teammate. "Come with me. I have to tell you something."

* * *

The door opened, and Jaune jumped to the side as Pyrrha stepped out in her casual clothes. "You ready?"

"Yeah."

At some point, her hand slipped into his as they stood on the airship looking out over Vale. It felt surreal to Pyrrha; she was having a hard time keeping herself present as they talked. _This isn't any different than normal, it's just the two of us... alone... on a date._

They were on a date! She had been thinking about this moment, for, well, a while to say the least.

The restaurant Jaune had chosen for lunch was a nice place – not exactly formal wear worthy but not fast food either. They blushed as the hostess brought them to a table for two off to one side of the restaurant, Pyrrha hurriedly sitting as Jaune gestured to her seat. They were brought water and menus before the waiter nodded and walked away.

"So."

Jaune stared busily at his menu. "Right, so, um, how exactly does this work?"

"Well..." If she was being honest, Pyrrha didn't have the slightest clue what was supposed to happen on a date, but she didn't want to tell that to Jaune. "We could talk about something?"

"Well, yeah, it's just... You. And me. On a date." He shook his head in amazement. "My sisters would be making so much fun of us right now."

She laughed, some of the tension rolling off of her shoulders as she relaxed slightly. "What are your sisters like? We never went to your house when we were in Mistral."

Jaune sighed. "I don't even know if they'd want to see me right now. When I came to Beacon, I took the family sword and left nothing but a note."

"I wish I had that many sisters," Pyrrha said wistfully. "Maybe Mother and Father would have paid a bit less attention to me that way."

"I don't think they like me very much."

"Your sisters?"

Jaune laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, they all love me because they get to dress me up all the time. I was talking about your parents. What do you think they'll do when they find out about, well..."

"Us? It'll be fine."

"But-"

"Jaune." Pyrrha's hand felt heavy as she reached across the table and settled it onto his arm. "I've been living away from my parents since I was fourteen. I know Mother wants me to marry a proper Mistrali businessman, but there's nothing she can do to me, or us. I have a full ride scholarship to Beacon, my own apartment in my name… There's nothing they can do to me anymore."

"As long as you keep winning tournaments, right?"

Pyrrha's face fell, and she looked away. Jaune meant only the best, but it still hurt to hear him say it. "Not even that. I'll- I'll be eighteen in April-"

"Ooh, when's your birthday? Nora and I will throw you an awesome party." His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and she smiled and shook her head.

"April seventeenth. Anyways, my point is that my parents have no real say in my life, and I would never choose them over you." Her hair had started to drift into her face, so she pulled it back and over one shoulder, letting it drape down her gray hoodie. Jaune pulled her hand off his arm and squeezed it, blushing slightly as he did.

"You look, um, really really nice when you, well, don't dress all Pyrrha-y – not that you don't look nice like that too! I mean, you just generally look really, really, um... nice." He trailed off awkwardly, looking down as she squeezed his hand back.

"You see me with my hair down every night, Jaune. I would love to keep it like this during the day, but I need my circlet to do my polarity properly. But..." She smiled as she let go of his hand and picked up her menu. "I could wear it down for lunch and class more often if you like it that much." Flipping through the pages as the waiter walked over, she asked, "What are you getting?"

"Um, a hamburger?"

"I'll get that too, then." She handed the menu to the waiter, then grinned as Jaune took a long sip from the straw in his water.

"So."

She followed his gaze to the shady pair of people wearing trench coats across the restaurant, one of whom was balancing a salt shaker on her head. "Are we just going to pretend like we don't see Ren and Nora?"

Jaune nodded. "Who knows, maybe if we ignore them for long enough they'll start treating it like a date too..."

"They would make a great couple too, wouldn't they?"

The restaurant hummed with the low buzz of conversation as Jaune and Pyrrha fell into a comfortable, familiar rhythm of conversation. _This really isn't so different from normal, is it?_

Before she knew it, they were paying the check and leaving the restaurant. She smiled as they passed Ren and Nora, who had shed their coats and were busy squabbling over a bowl of pasta. Jaune rolled his eyes at them, handing Pyrrha her coat as they stepped outside into the cold winter air.

They made it back to their dorm in no time. She poked her head into Team WBYR's room. _Nobody. Perfect._

"Y'know, Ren and Nora aren't back yet," Jaune said hesitantly as he cast his coat aside and walked towards her.

"And nobody from WBYR's around..."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Watch romcoms and cuddle?"

"Hell yeah."

They kissed for a brief moment, then opened the box of holotapes. Digging through Nora's horror movies and Ren's meditation videos, she pulled out _Vacuo Love_ and pressed play. Both getting onto Jaune's bed, she curled up against him, her heart melting as he put his arm around him.

"This was really nice, Jaune."

He nodded. "Yeah, can we do this every weekend?"

"Anytime. Anytime at all."

* * *

Ruby groggily opened her eyes, her head pounding as she came back to her senses. _Neo? What- What happened?_

Neo was still gone.

The stiff bedsheets shifted around her as she sat up, massaging her temple with one hand. Poking at her aura, it seemed like her silver eyes power was back to normal. Sinking back into her pillow, she sighed and covered her eyes.

 _I attacked Uncle Qrow._

Tears threatened to overwhelm her again, but she fought them back. Clearly, she wasn't in her bed, but did it even matter? Was it even worth being awake?

"Ruby? Are you awake?"

It was Blake. Why was it always Blake? "Go away."

"I can't... I mean, we are kinda both in the infirmary so I don't know where you want me to go..."

 _Huh?_ Sitting up in her seat, Ruby looked around to see Blake watching her from an adjacent hospital bed. A big splotchy bruise covered the side of her teammate's face, and she covered her mouth to hide her horror. "What- What happened?"

"I was at the protest, two Atlesian soldiers were beating up defenseless faunus and I stopped them. They didn't particularly like that." Blake stared at her hands for a moment, then said, "Ruby, I'm sorry."

Her concerned expression turned into a glare. "I don't want to hear it."

"Ruby, just hear me out please."

"No! She's gone, Blake." Ruby looked around and her voice broke. "Neo is gone, and it's your fault."

"What? Where did she go?"

"She went back to- back to Raven. I- I guess I'm happy she found her again, but-" Her breath caught in her throat, and she curled up even tighter. "But- I- I don't know if she'll ever want to see me again."

Blake jumped out of her bed and ran to Ruby's side as she broke down into violent sobs. "Ruby, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Get away from me!" she yelled, slapping Blake's arm away as she tried to hug her. The other girl ignored her, hugging her tightly as she began to cry as well. "Get away from me..."

"Ruby, I- I've been stupid and selfish and- And I should have thought about you and Yang and- I-" Blake shook her head. "I've been so, so stupid, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of it."

Ruby wanted to scream at her, but all that came out was an incoherent babbling mess. "Neo and I were working on weapons, and we were testing it and then we were watching the moon and, and I- I love her, Blake, and she just- she- Raven- She's gone!"

"You love her?"

"And now _you're_ the only person I can talk to, and- I hate you. I hate you!" Ruby's breath came in shuddering gasps as she clung to her teammate. "It was the first day back! I was trying to be friendly- It was su- supposed- It was supposed to be different! And you just called Cr- Crescent- You called her- you- And then Ozpin and- Now Qrow hates me and Neo hates me and you hate me and-"

"I don't hate you, Ruby."

She looked up at Blake, who was staring down at her with a sad smile. "Huh?"

"I- I hate being trapped, Ruby, and that's what you did to me." She shook her head. "That day, in the library- I thought you were going to trust me. I thought you were going to tell me what you were hiding, but you didn't, and- I thought you were going to hurt the rest of us. I thought you were going to hurt Yang. You did hurt Yang.

"So did you," Ruby whispered.

"I know, and I- Ruby, I'm sorry." Blake shook her head. "I can't do this alone anymore. I can't stay trapped like this anymore. I need- I need somebody I can talk to, somebody who can help me, and you're the _only person_ I can go to-"

"I tried, Blake!" Ruby exclaimed, pulling away from her teammate. "I tried to be your friend for so long, and you ignored me! Even when Neo was at her worst, I- I didn't stop trying-"

"But you never trusted me." Blake laughed shakily, her ears curling up. "I don't blame you, either. Who would have? Cutting myself off from everyone, hiding who I am, running away when you found out… I was- I thought I was protecting everyone. I thought blocking you and Yang and everyone else out was protecting you, but I wasn't! And then, in the library, I opened up to you for the first time since getting to Beacon and you just- You threw it back in my face, Ruby."

"I..." Ruby's expression was bleak. "Nobody was supposed to find out about her. Nobody was supposed to know about the girl in my head. She hated me, and I hated her, but- There was one night… She woke me up to train at two for the first time, but she was hungry, and… I made her pancakes, and she- She was surprised, like she didn't think anyone would ever do something so nice for her."

"I don't understand. She hurt you, over and over again, even now." Blake's shoulders sagged. "How can you still love her like that?"

"Because..." She trailed off. "Blake, you can't know what it feels like to share your thoughts with somebody. Neo is… well, Neo is everything. We think together during the day and I talk to her in my dreams. She's my mentor, my closest friend, my biggest opponent. She's been there to comfort me when I cry and saved my life more than once. Even when she hurt me… Even when she was trying to drive me insane… She's my everything, and nothing can change that."

Blake stared at her as she pulled away.

"I've never said that out loud before," Ruby whispered.

"Ruby, that's… You're fifteen..."

"And she's twenty-three, I know. It isn't any better than all of the shitty fucked up stuff that happened to her when she was a kid." She shook her head, staring out the window at the blue sky. "I didn't even get a chance to realize it before she found out – it just slipped out while we were talking. I can't control what I say to her. I can't lie to her. And I hurt her because of that."

Blake didn't respond, completely unsure how to even begin.

"This bond has ruined both of our lives, Blake." Ruby drew her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth slightly. "I know I was a completely different person before I killed Roman. I don't even know what Beacon would be like now if I hadn't killed him. I don't know what hers would have been like if it didn't exist."

"How does it even work? Why you, of all people?"

"It wasn't just me."

Blake blanched. "What?"

"I'm the sixth person she's been bonded to in her life. She's only showed three of them, but- but- They're awful." Ruby shook her head. "She can't even name them. She won't even think about them unless I prod her. She calls them 'them.' She called me that too, when she left. Am I- am I any better, really?"

"Six..." Blake echoed, looking horrified.

"I mean, she hasn't had free will her entire life, so how am I any different? I've seen her memories, I've ordered her around, I've hurt her, basically the only thing I haven't done is fucking raped her, but that's probably how she felt when I told her I loved her!" She whipped back around to face Blake, glaring at her look of utter shock. "Don't you hate me now? I'm a monster. I beat Cardin half to death, and I might have killed him if the Grimm hadn't gotten there first. I held Neo in place against her will, made her deactivate her aura, and bludgeoned her so bad that she was unconscious for eighteen hours! I manipulated Jaune, did everything to you, I hurt Yang, I- I don't deserve to be at Beacon. I never did, and I don't even know if I should be a huntress anymore."

"Ruby?"

"But it doesn't matter," she said, the bitter edge to her voice sinking in. "After all, I'm just a stupid awkward fifteen year old who only got to play with the big kids because of a pigsticker that's now just a hunk of scrap metal buried next to my dead mother."

"..."

"That's what she said to me, when she left."

Blake was at a complete loss for words, but she pulled Ruby into her arms as she began to wordlessly sob. They sat on the edge of her bed like that until she had calmed down slightly, the grief in her stomach mingling with her self-hatred and emptiness. "That's not you, Ruby. That's not who you are."

"But-"

"I know who you are, Ruby." Blake shook her hair out of her face and let go of her. "You're the girl who I was in detention with two days ago. You're the girl who was getting her mind ripped apart and you were worried about _Neo_. You're the girl who would do anything to protect her friends, even if it meant shutting yourself off. You're the girl who wouldn't stop trying to be friends with me, no matter what. When you snapped… that wasn't you."

"But what if it _was,_ Blake?" Ruby looked scared. She _felt_ scared. "What if that part of me is just waiting to come back again, waiting for me to snap? What if I hurt Neo worse this time? What if I kill her?"

To that, Blake had no answer. She stayed by Ruby's side for a while, neither one of them willing to speak before drifting back to her own bed lost in thought.

Yang and Weiss came back to an undisturbed scene, just as tranquil as they had left it.

* * *

"Rubes?"

Ruby looked up from her scroll to see her dad standing at the entrance of the dorm room. "Hey Dad."

Taiyang stepped into the room, sitting down by the low table and taking in the room. "This is the fabled Team WBYR dorm room, huh? It's really clay-zy that you guys are all on the same team, huh?"

Ruby groaned. "Daaad, stop! You're worse than Yang!"

"Hey, I had to look up what umber was, I can't help it if I'm punny! Seriously, couldn't Oz come up with a better name?" There was an awkward pause. "Why don't you tell me about your team? Who sleeps where, and all?"

 _I don't feel like doing this today._ "Why are you really here, Dad?"

Tai sighed. "Humor me for a moment, will you? I haven't really talked to you since, well, since your first day at Beacon. I'd love to just have a moment to talk to my daughter."

"Um… Well, I sleep here and Weiss is under me, and then Blake and Yang are over there, I guess..."

He waited expectantly for her to say more, then sighed when she didn't. "Look, Rubes, I know about Neo. I've known Neo for longer than you've been alive."

"So what, are you going to be like Uncle Qrow and try to take her away and kill her? Because she's gone."

"No." Ruby started, and he looked at her with dead conviction. "Ruby, I know too much about Neo to think she's anything but a victim. Both of you are. Qrow's a fucking idiot for letting his year-old grievances get in the way, but then again he was probably drunk and not thinking straight."

"I've seen what Neo knows about you. I saw… I saw Mom, when Yang was born."

"Hey, can you come down so I can talk to you face to face? I'd come up, but somehow I don't think those ropes are strong enough to hold the two of us," he asked, looking up at her. Ruby hesitated for a moment, then swung down from the bed and sat across from him at the table. "How much do you know about Team STRQ?"

"Uh… It was you, Mom, Raven, and Qrow, right?"

"We were always a little bit hot and cold with each other, really. Top of our class, but Qrow and I mostly goofed off and Raven and Qrow both didn't actually intend to become huntsmen – they were just learning to fight better. Oz had chosen us from the moment we walked into school. Around our third and final year, he approached us and told us everything."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He laughed, shaking his head. "Some of us took it better than others. For Summer, it was like every idealistic dream she had coming to life: Fight the evil! Join the echelons of light! Qrow had started to think more like her at that point, so the two of them were totally on board with it. Raven, well, she didn't take the news quite as well. If you're connected to Neo, you probably know what she's like these days better than I do, so you get it, right?"

"I- I think so."

Tai put his hand on his backpack, fiddling with the zipper. "Well, after we graduated, we all did work for Oz. Dangerous stuff. By that point, Raven and I were pretty deeply in love, and I think the only real reason she stuck around was because of me. We got married, and then Starling took Neo. Long story short, an eight-year-old practically tore our team to shreds."

"What happened?"

"Well, we all knew how illegal it was. Qrow already hated the tribe at that point, so that just made everything worse. Raven spent less and less time at home, always with the tribe; she was pregnant but she acted like Neo was her only child. Summer and I tried to keep things together, but Branwen fights were always notoriously hard to end. The two of us didn't have anyone else to go to; Raven was practically Summer's only friend after she and Qrow got into a massive fight, and they didn't make up for years. I was losing my wife, and she was losing her only close friend, and well… we..."

Ruby's stomach sank as she saw Tai's expression. "Dad, what did you and Mom do?"

"You're too young for this, Ruby." She shot him a look, and he shook his head. "I- You got mixed up in adult stuff about five years earlier than anybody ever should. I still see my little girl, but- We both know you aren't the same innocent kid you were before."

"Dad. What did you do?" Ruby asked with a low voice. Tai looked away and sighed.

"The first time Summer and I slept together was about two weeks after Yang was born. I guess she didn't feel the need to take maternity leave because she had left me in charge of the one week old. Yang didn't want anything but breast milk, and all we had was formula. Summer was staying over to help me. After she had been gone for a week, both of us had lost it and we needed something- Anything to take our minds off of things."

Ruby gaped at him for a moment. "Wait, so- You and Mom cheated on Raven? Does Yang know?" Her mind spun as a million questions flooded around.

"No." Tai's eyes were cast downwards. "I- I'm not proud of it, but I don't regret doing it. I love Raven, but she had so many problems. Her lack of involvement with Yang's life was too much. Then, everything boiled over at once. Qrow and Raven fought over Neo, he was disowned, and that was the last time we ever saw him sober. Raven walked out on me after that, told me she wished she had never married me or had Yang, so Summer came over to comfort me. She portaled in on us having sex. That night, Neo disappeared."

"After that, it was too late. Things were too far gone to fix. Qrow became the middleman for the three of us. We had you, which was the best thing that ever happened to me and your mom. Summer and Qrow still went on missions. Then, when you were six, there was a large scale mobilization of Grimm ready to march on Atlas. Summer and Qrow met them at the entrance to the Grimmlands alone. That night when she left-"

"Neo showed me." Tai's head shot up as he looked at her in confusion. "When we first bonded, she showed me my worst dreams and nightmares every night. The- The night when Mom left and the day Qrow saved me were her two favorites to torment me. I've- I've seen that night, over and over and over again."

His eyes watered, and he pushed away from the table to run around and hug Ruby. Blankly, she stared at the table as he started to cry. "That- That was the worst night of my life. You shouldn't have to see it like that. Nobody should ever be forced to see things like that."

"Why are you telling me this, Dad?" she asked. _Why can't I cry right now, Neo? Why am I not angry, or shouting at him for Yang's sake?_

"I'm telling you because I want you to hear it from my side, not from Raven through Neo. Look, Ruby, Neo… she's a sore subject for all three of us. Please, if you can find it in you, forgive your uncle."

Ruby pulled free of his embrace and walked over to her bunk bed. Reaching under, she pulled out one of Weiss' suitcases and handed him a small square of silk. "He was going to kill her."

"I can't make you forgive him. I don't want to make you forgive him. I'm just saying if you give him a chance and talk it through, he might come around. Trust me, Rubes, I'm in your corner." Taking the hankerchief, he wiped his face and smiled at her. "Neo went with Raven, didn't she?"

Ruby nodded, not meeting his eyes. "We fought right before she left. I- I said something, and she reacted, and now I don't know if she'll ever come back. It feels… empty."

"Well, I have two presents for you. Maybe one'll help you take your mind off of this a bit."

"That's it? You're not angry at me for hiding her, or lying to you, or for attacking Qrow?"

Tai shook his head. "Like I said, Ruby. You and Neo are both victims here, and I could never be angry at either of you, even if I do resent her for helping my first marriage fall apart a bit. Besides, I know how the bond works. I know that you and she are going to be… well, it's not exactly a temporary sort of thing. Raven's always treated her like a daughter, so I guess there's no reason why I can't do the same."

Ruby froze. _This is really for life, isn't it? Does that mean I'm always going to have to hear her or deal with this emptiness?_

 _Is this what she thinks about all the time?_

She didn't want to dwell on that. "Dad, what are the gifts?"

"Well, the first one is already in the room."

"Huh?" Ruby looked around wildly as Tai grinned mischievously and unzipped his backpack. A furry black and white head poked out the hole, and all of the fears and worries that had been plaguing Ruby went out the window. "ZWEI!"

The corgi barked happily and licked her face as she tackled him across the room. She gave him a massive squeeze and grinned as Tai said, "There's my little Rubes! See, I knew it was still in you somewhere!"

Ruby gently nuzzled her dog's face before setting him down and glomping her dad. "He can stay here?" Zwei barked and he nodded, and she squealed, "Thank you thank you thank you!"

They broke off, and Zwei jumped into Ruby's lap. "So, I heard that you forged a modified Ember Cecila. Wanna show me?"

Ruby's face fell slightly, but she nodded and went over to the dresser. Opening the top drawer, she slipped the silver gauntlets onto her wrists. Turning back to Tai, she cocked them, mimed two punches, and slid the blades opened and closed. "I used the original gravity dust design instead of the mechanical one I made for Yang." Sliding them off, she handed them to him.

He gave them a one over, whistling appreciatively at the design before setting them down on the table. "You know these things aren't going to replace Crescent Rose, right?"

"I'm _never_ going to remake Crescent!" Ruby exclaimed, clenching her fist as Tai dismissively brushed the gauntlets to the side.

"Relax, I never said you should remake Crescent Rose. That doesn't mean you can ignore the facts, though." Tai met her gaze squarely. "Ruby, you fight gracefully. Your style is filled with spins and side cuts, and you just can't do that if you're punching something. It would take you years to learn how to fight properly the way Yang does. On top of that, you're a pretty damn good sniper, and you can't let that go to waste either."

"So what are you saying?"

Tai got to his feet and walked out of the dorm room. He reentered a second later with a big black case. Putting it down on the table, he sighed and said, "This is also for you."

Ruby hesitantly unlatched the case and opened it gently, then gawked at the weapon inside. "What is it?"

"Rising Thorn," Tai said, staring down at the weapon wistfully. "Your mother's weapon."

Gingerly, Ruby pulled the weapon out of the case. Painted black and red, it was one of the longest guns Ruby had seen that wasn't a sniper rifle. "This is an assault rifle, but why does it have such a long barrel and bump stock? Also, why are there two dust cartridge holders?"

"Press the button."

Ruby frowned as she pressed the button, then jumped as the weapon transformed in her. The parts collapsed in on themselves, compartmentalizing into tight cylinders before going end to end. The padding on the bump stock slid back to reveal a fifteen-inch blade mounted on a six-foot-tall pole. Her mouth dropped as she noticed the two dust cartridge slots had migrated to opposite ends of the weapon, one by the blade and one by the scope which was toggled with a button towards the top.

She turned back to Dad with an awestruck expression. "This… This was Mom's?"

"It's a semi-automatic scoped assault rifle and a modified naginata. Believe it or not, you inherited your love of weapons from your mom. Wanna go give it a try?"

"Yes! Hold on," Ruby exclaimed as she switched the weapon back, melting with intense satisfaction at the transformation. Rummaging through Weiss' stuff again, she pulled out four clips of ammo and stuck it on her belt. "Alright, let's go!"

"Wait a second." He grinned at her as he said, "Why don't you bring some red dust down too? From what Yang says, I don't think Weiss'll miss it much."

Ruby matched his grin and pulled out another cartridge. "Am I going to love this?"

"Oh, you have no idea."

The training room was full with students working out in their free period. As she walked in holding Rising Thorn, several kids started whispering and getting out of her way. Ruby put her head down as she heard someone whisper "Black Rose" and another kid laugh.

"Oi, shut the fuck up about my daughter!" Tai shouted as he walked into the room after her. He walked ahead of her to the shooting range and threw her a pair of glasses and earmuffs. "Are they always such assholes?"

"Since my first day." Not wanting to hear his response, she grabbed a clip and shoved it into the slot. The rifle felt right as she brought the scope to her eye and took aim for the furthest target. The kickback and aiming felt perfect as she punched three bullets through the center target. Setting the safety, she slipped her earmuffs off and turned to him. "It's perfect, Dad."

"Wanna try the naginata?" She grinned as he grabbed a metal training sword and backflipped into the right.

Unleashing the blade, Ruby pressed a button to drop the ropes and walked onto the blue mat. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the red dust cartridge and slid it into the slot by the blade. He raised an eyebrow, and she told him, "Counterbalance, Dad. You know that."

Experimentally, she gave the weapon a few swings, he fingers comfortably slipping onto the soft grip in the center of the blade. Giving the weapon a few experimental twirls, she couldn't help but marvel at how much it handled like Crescent when she enabled kickback.

The spar started slow, letting her test out what worked and what didn't. She couldn't use her downward strike anymore; never again would she be able to kill someone in the way she had Roman. She also couldn't do any of her anchored kicks or blocks anymore, but she had been using them less anyways since she had started getting her semblance under control.

No, she was far more interested by the moves that had suddenly become far more effective than before. First off, her slash and side attacks were far more effective, and she was able to execute them far better than before. Also, she could jab straight forwards, which Tai had a hard time dodging. The weapon was perfectly balanced, and she was spinning around her dad with semblance powered strikes in no time.

Tai held up his fist to stop her, and she skidded to a halt. Letting Thorn's pole rest against the ground, she grinned and breathlessly asked, "How was that?"

"Great, but you're forgetting the dust. Try it out."

Ruby frowned at the button by the dust cartridge. "Why is it a toggle and not a trigger?"

"You'll see."

Hesitantly, she pressed the button then squealed as the blade lit up red. "The dust _infuses_ the metal?!"

He reached over and took the weapon, turning the dust blade off and turning it back into a rifle. His fingers lingered on its dark gray surface before handing it back to her. "I just thought that maybe… if you didn't have a weapon, you might want to have just a bit more of Summer with you, even when nei- for when neither of us can be there for you."

Ruby's eyes watered as she set Rising Thorn down and embraced her dad. "Thank you, Dad! It's perfect!"

She was still sad about Crescent Rose. She probably would never truly get over the destruction of her weapon, but maybe she could keep moving forwards anyways.

 _I just wish Neo had been here with me to see it._

* * *

 **[A/N] Neo is nowhere to be found this chapter, but there's a ton of discussion about her. Tai is totally Superdad, and Zwei enters the picture. Blake and Ruby's first arc finally comes to a conclusion, and Jaune and Pyrrha go on their first date. Also, Ozpin is telling Weiss but also not telling Weiss, which makes sense to him but definitely not to Weiss. Finally, the Team STRQ backstory finally comes together – a lot of the memories from Chapter 10 should make more sense now.**

 **On a separate note – I spent a lot of time working on Rising Thorn and her mechanics, and I really like how she came out. I might try to sketch out some concept art and put it on my Tumblr, we'll see.**

 **Thank you all for your amazing feedback! Just two chapters to go in Volume Two, then we're headed straight into Volume Three!**

 **Big shout out to the wonderful Noir for catching some grammatical errors!**

 **Signing out, Allie**

* * *

 **Love re:Bound? Then make sure you check out my new project Petals in the Ash!**

 _ **Cinder Fall hated it when her situation was out of her control. It wasn't the time travel anymore, or even being stuck in Ruby Rose's body. No, it was the icy, hostile, beautiful mystery of her "partner" Weiss Schnee, and the inexplicable draw to her she couldn't seem to shake. White Ash.**_

 **Rated T, features CinderxWeiss and an excellent helping of time travel**

* * *

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 1/20/18**


	19. V2 - Nebula

Volume Two, Chapter Nine: Nebula

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 1/20/18

* * *

 _"No. I won't let you hurt these people."_

 _"Terrorists aren't people. Maybe you're a part of the White Fang too, huh? Is that why you're defending them?"_

 _"No, I, um-"_

 _"I knew it. Get out of the way, animal."_

Her head hurt, buzzing as her eyes strained at the holoscreen's iridescent glow. Her palm pressed into her cheek, mildly uncomfortable but too set to move it away. Blake sighed as she slid the slider back to the beginning of the video, lingering on the still of her prone body with Sun standing over her protecting her. _I should find him and thank him for that._

The red dot flickered back onto the screen. Glaring at it, she slammed her palm against the screen. The dot simply flew off of the screen and onto the floor, and Blake hissed as she shut the monitor down and whirled around. Catching a glimpse of blonde hair, her expression softened slightly and she walked towards the bookshelf.

"Yang? What-"

Her partner's expression was troubled as she grabbed her hand. "We need to talk."

Blake's heart picked up at the contact, desire and regret mixing to fuel her dread and curiosity. She hasn't talked to me at all since I went off at her... Is she still angry at me? I- I deserve it, it's my fault for pushing her away. I don't even know why she still would want me around.

They stopped in front of an empty classroom, and Yang poked her head in as she let go of her hand. The tingling didn't stop, and Blake looked away from her partner in shame. "C'mon," she said, and they slipped into the darkened room.

Blake hesitated at the top of the room as Yang leaned against the lectern. "Yang, I-"

"You were watching the video again." It was a statement, not a question, and Blake nodded in mute acknowledgment. "Blake, you have to stop."

"But-"

"Come here." She gulped as she saw Yang's hard expression, and meekly complied. Her partner patted the white lectern next to her, so she sat, unable to make eye contact.

"I-"

"Blake." Yang's lilac eyes flashed. "You told me to stay away from you. And you know what? I did. I figured if you didn't want to talk to me directly, that wouldn't stop me from helping you indirectly. I'm done with that. I'm not going to pretend my partner doesn't exist anymore, and I don't give a shit what you have to say about that."

"But-"

"Shut up, Belladonna, I'm not done." Yang took a deep breath, shaking her head as she batted Blake's hand away. The evening light cast an amber glow over her coat, which gently draped over the edge of the desk and sent a shallow shadow over her boots below. "Ozpin talked to Weiss, and Weiss talked to me. I don't know what the hell is so bad that neither of us can know, and I sure as hell don't trust Ozpin anymore, but I trust you. I- I thought I lost you, Blake. If it weren't for Weiss, I, well, you know my temper." Yang gave her a wry smile. "But you can't keep pushing everyone away. We need you. _I_ need you."

"Ozpin told Weiss?"

Yang nodded, raising her hand to rest it on Blake's shoulder before hesitating. "Weiss- Weiss said that this is hurting you, just as bad as Ruby, and- I'm sorry, Blake. I'm sorry I didn't see it before. I just- I just need to know... How bad? What was so bad that you had to push me away?" Her voice trembled slightly, and Blake's heart twisted as the sun dipped behind the windowsill.

"It's my fault."

"What do you mean?" Blake looked away, and quietly relayed everything that had happened between her and Ruby leading up to the protest, omitting everything she knew about Neo. Yang's expression slowly went from confusion to anger to horror, and by the end, her fists were shaking.

The silence stretched on after she stopped talking, so she finally exhaled and whispered, "I understand if you- if you don't want us to be friends anymore. It's probably better than I deserve..."

Yang threw herself onto Blake, clinging to her neck and burying her face in her hair. "That's- that's so awful, all of it. I- Why didn't you tell me? I would never stop being your friend, Blake. I could have helped you, or, or, I don't know..." Blake hesitantly hugged her back, not daring to let her hopes get up.

"But... I hurt you..."

Yang shook her head into her hair. "Idiot."

"But-"

"You're my partner, and I love you, Blake. It- It hurt, but I wouldn't stop caring about you because of something stupid like that! Idiot!" She pulled away, letting her hand slip down into Blake's. "I know you, Blake. I know you push us away when you're upset. Just... Maybe I need you sometimes, okay? Maybe next time, let me help you, instead of pretending like I don't exist for a week!"

Blake's eyes widened. Yang's hand squeezed hers, and suddenly she felt her eyes watering again. "You- you don't care?"

Yang gave her a sad smile. The automatic guard lights signaling nighttime blinked on, reflecting against the white desk beneath them. "I wish I could be going through this with you, Blake. I can't keep standing by and watching you destroy yourself like this."

"I can't tell you," she murmured, squeezing her hand and getting a squeeze back. "I would if I could, but- But- We're both so fucked up, Yang. Me and Ruby. I wanted to protect you. I thought I was protecting you until Ruby confronted me. I- I'm sorry." Her eyes slid closed, burning in the cool air-conditioning. "I'm so sorry..."

"Blake, I trust you. I trust you to protect me, no matter what happens. I believe you when you tell me I don't want to know. I don't like it, but I believe you. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm telling you that you have to stop watching that damn video."

She sighed, her mind immediately back on the library holoscreen. "How am I supposed to ignore it?"

Yang shook her head and sighed. "Is it still going viral?"

"Three million views since Friday." Blake gripped her hand tighter, her ears curling slightly. "Yang, they put my name on that video. They know I'm here. What if the White Fang knows that I'm here? What if my parents know that I'm here? What if _Adam_ -"

"Stop. Nobody is going to touch you while you're here. Me and Weiss and Ruby will protect you from all of that, so stop worrying about it!"

"But you don't know that! You don't know what Adam can do, how he just draws you in and-"

Yang _snarled_ , which shocked Blake out of her spiraling and back to reality. "I've told you this before, I'm going to kill that fucker if he ever comes near you again. Nobody is going to hurt you or any of us, and obsessing over a video won't change that!"

"But if they find out that I was part of the White Fang-"

Her partner let go of her hand and jumped off the table, leaving Blake sitting in fearful confusion. "Blake, I understand how you're feeling right now. You know how my mom, Raven, left me... Okay, what do you look so surprised about? I told you that before."

 _Shit shit shit what am I supposed to tell her about Raven? If she finds out that Ruby's been in contact with us, she'll murder me and Ruby..._ Hastily, she shook her head and wiped the shock from her face. "No, I just was, um, didn't expect your mom to have anything to do with this."

"Oh... Well, anyways," Yang carried on, a slightly troubled look concealed in her eyes. "I never understood why she left, and I was desperate to find her and get my mom back. I used to obsess over it, asking Qrow and Dad and, well, I was seven so it wasn't like I was a master detective or anything. My point is, it had gotten to the point where it was taking over my life, and then one day... One day, I thought I had found something that would lead me straight to her so I loaded Ruby into a wagon and I took her into the woods-"

"Oh my god," Blake whispered.

"Yeah. Great sister, right?" Yang bit her lip and turned away. "The Grimm came for us, obviously. If Qrow hadn't been there, we both would be dead." A brief moment of heavy silence. "Anyways, my point is if you keep obsessing over this, you're going to end up hurting me and everybody around you."

Her hand felt cold without Yang's warm palm pressed against hers, and her heart ached for her missing presence by her side. "I'm not going to stop, Yang! I can't just-"

"That's why I'm not telling you to stop." Suddenly they were face to face, her heart rushing from the proximity. "Just... slow down. Please. We're here for you, and we can help you figure all of this out, but we can't help you if you lose yourself in the process."

"How?"

Yang suddenly looked _vulnerable_ , in a way that she had never seen before. "Well, for starters, you could be my date to the dance in two weeks?"

Blake gaped at her. Of all of the things that could have come out of her partner's mouth, that had _not_ been what she was expecting. "You- want to go to the dance with me?"

"That's what I said," Yang said, laughing breezily as the question dangled between them. "I- If you don't want to, I understand... Woah!"

"Yes! Of course I want to!" She flung herself onto Yang, who caught her in a hug with a disbelieving grin.

"Really? I thought you might already be going with Sun..."

She rolled her eyes, lightly slapping her on the back of the head. "You're kidding, right? Why would I want to go to with him? I'm lesbian, idiot."

"But you read erotica..."

"Gay erotica, Yang," Blake muttered, deep scarlet filling her cheeks. "Haven't you read it? You've known about it for what, months?"

"Um, no, why would I have read it?"

Blake stopped hugging her and pulled away to stare at Yang. "You do, well, you know, right?"

"Do what?"

"But you're, well, you!" Blake exclaimed, gawking at her confusion. "Oh, come on. You're the hottest girl in our year, you can't be telling me-"

"Oh. _Oh._ "

"...You've never done it, have you?"

Yang covered her face with her hands, unable to look at her. "I don't know, I got the talk from _Dad_! You met him, you know what he's like..."

"Well, maybe we'll get a chance to fix that."

She gasped in mock horror. "Blake Belladonna, are you _flirting_ with me?"

Blake's ears twitched as she bit her lip. "Maybe I am. Maybe I've wanted to for a while, even if I didn't realize it until after we fought." And she did want to, more than anything she had wanted in a long time. The more time she spent with Yang, the more Adam seemed like a distant nightmare waiting to be forgotten.

The time and stress slipped away as they talked, closer and closer until their lips met under the fluorescent light. Nothing else matter; for the first time in months, Blake didn't feel quite so alone anymore.

* * *

Foam slowly dripped over the rim of the overflowing edge. Spilling down the side, the delta of coffee and cream trickled into rivulets along the stained metallic surface. The lone teacup rattled as Weiss put the tray down, the spoon gently bumping against the soaking Mistrali Gray teabag.

She gave her teammates a warm smile, joining them around their short table. Despite the deep crack splitting the low wood from one corner to the other, it was heartwarming to see Blake and Yang laughing and Ruby's wan smile as she gently stroked Zwei's ears. "Just like everyone likes it. Decaf for me, double expresso for Yang, cream and sugar for Ruby, and tea for Blake."

"Thanks, Weiss." Yang grabbed her coffee and handed Blake her tea. Weiss grinned as their fingers brushed against each other, holding the contact for a little too long to be accidental.

Zwei left Ruby for Weiss' lap as the youngest member of Team WBYR took a long drink. "You're the best leader, Weiss."

Rolling her eyes, Weiss said, "Well, I try." Lazily scratching the corgi's head, she leaned back against the desk behind her. "It's nice to see our team looking decent, for once."

"All because of you, Ice Queen," Yang drawled, earning herself a light kick.

"Admit it, you all love me." The other girl laughed as she let a hint of her old Schnee arrogance slip into her voice, the edge taken off by the sparkling mirth in her tone.

Blake looked between them as they both broke out laughing. "When did you two get so close?"

"Well, we are planning a dance together..."

Yang shrugged. "She's been keeping me sane."

Ruby made a noise, and all three of them turned to stare at her. "So… all three of you know now, sorta?"

"Yeah," Weiss said, trailing off as Ruby's eyes started watering. "Ruby, you don't have to cry… None of us blame you for anything that's happened. We're just glad that you finally told us what's wrong, so we can help you through it now."

Yang got up and sat down next to Ruby, letting her cry into her shoulder. "Rubes, we're here for you. We don't care what's happening we just want you to feel better."

"Ruby." Sniffing, she looked up at Blake. "I know everything, and you've never stopped being amazing. Even with all of the things that've happened, you've never stopped trying to help and protect us."

"How can you all still want me here? Why- Why don't you hate me for- for..."

"We're Team WBYR, Ruby." Weiss reached over and took Ruby's hand, Yang holding her tighter and Blake smiling from across the table. "And you're my partner. The three of you are more like family to me than anyone else in the world. That's all that matters."

"I don't understand," she whispered as her shoulders shook, surrounded by her team.

"You don't have to," Yang murmured as she pulled Ruby's hair out of her face. "We're here to support you, no matter what. We've been here this whole time."

A far off beeping sounded faintly in the door, and Weiss slipped out of the room as Ruby sobbed her heart out. A few minutes later, she came back with a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk. "Cookies and cream in your coffee, the things I do for you Ruby Rose..."

Ruby's eyes glowed, and her partner shook her head in disbelief. "I'm sorry I never really was a part of the team last semester, Weiss..."

"You were doing the best you could," she said before pulling her leadership book down off the desk. "Come on, we've got two weeks to plan this dance. Let's do it!"

Together at the table, Weiss glowed with pride as they worked their way through decorations and music. They were a team – her team – and for the first time, they felt whole.

* * *

Ruby shifted the mask over her nose. The spray paint rattled as she shook it, the carefully set paper outline filling up with crimson paint. Peeling the template back, she grinned at the fresh rose emblem emblazoned on the side of her second gauntlet. Setting the paint down, she picked the cardboard her weapons rested on and carried them to a nearby rack to dry off.

"I thought that you were going to use Rising Thorn from now on."

Ruby looked up as Pyrrha lifted Milo off the table with her polarity and set it to the grindstone. "Nah, I think I'm going to use both. I don't want to be helpless if I get disarmed ever again. Didn't you just sharpen Milo a week ago?"

Pyrrha grinned at her. "He's gotten better and better at fighting since we started working before break. I mean, he's not as good as me but I think he'll do just fine. Besides, Crocea Mors is just about the sturdiest weapon I've ever fought against."

"How was your second date?"

The other girl's eyes sparkled as she leaned in towards her. "The movie was awful and we were in the back, so we just made out the whole time."

Ruby snorted, making a face. "You and Jaune together is so _weird."_

"Have you _seen_ Blake and Yang getting cozy together recently?" Pyrrha asked, then paused as Ruby's face fell. "What's wrong?"

"Everything's just been getting so much better. We've stopped fighting, it's just... Violet had to go to Mistral for a while, and... And I really really miss her and I wish she would come back."

Pyrrha rested her hand on her shoulder as Ruby took a shuddering sigh. "I'm sure she'll be back soon, Ruby. I could tell she was important to you while she was here, and the most important people in our lives are never really gone."

"Thanks, Pyrrha." Ruby hugged her, then walked over to the wall and grabbed Rising Thorn. Stopping at the door to the weapons room, she looked back and called, "I'm glad that you're my friend."

Pyrrha waved, yelling back, "So am I!"

* * *

The message on her scroll had told her to be alone outside at midnight. If it wasn't for the anticipation, Ruby was pretty sure she would have frozen to death already. The weather app said it was twelve degrees outside, but she wasn't sure she believed that. The chill seemed to permeate her world, freezing through her pajama pants and turning Thorn into an icicle pressing against her back.

She hadn't dared to hope. She couldn't hope - if she did and it was only Uncle Qrow, or worse, she wasn't sure she would be able to put herself back together.

 _Neo, where are you?_

As if on cue, the air to her left tore and distorted into a gaping red hole. Suddenly she felt whole again, and white and black aura rushed into her with a million thoughts and questions and feelings. Neo sprinted out of the portal and threw herself onto Ruby, tears streaming as the rush of sensation overwhelmed them both. _Ruby I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm-_

 _You came back._

 _I shouldn't have said what I said, and I- You told me I love you and I hurt you, and then I left and-_

 _Slow down, slow down, there's too much._

Neo quieted down for a moment, leaving them clinging together silently under the moonlight. Ruby could feel her going through everything that had happened to her while she was gone. _You tried to kill Qrow because of me... God, Ruby, I- It was that bad? What I said... What I said was bad enough to trigger your silver eyes?_

Ruby mutely nodded, and they sank to the ground together. Neo started hyperventilating slightly, and she sent the best calm she could muster across the bond. _Breathe, Neo. Breathe. Please, it's okay, I-_

 _You what?_

A hacking cough interrupted Ruby's sobs, and she hugged Neo even tighter. _You- I- Blake told me I wasn't, but... I need to hear it from you, Neo. Is that who I am? Am I really just a stupid awkw-_

 _No! Ruby, I-_ Neo couldn't find the words to say for a moment. _I didn't mean any of that. I was just so afraid, afraid of what you wanted from me, afraid that Raven was just going to leave me alone again... You- You... Ruby..._

 _What?_

 _What you said to Blake..._ Neo's voice trailed off into terrified wonder, and Ruby pulled away so Neo could see her sad smile.

"I mean it, Neo," Ruby whispered. "I meant every word of it."

Neo's eyes glistened pure white. "Why?" she mouthed, lost as Ruby slipped her hands into hers.

"You're my everything, Neo," Ruby murmured, freely crying even as she wiped at Neo's tears with the edge of her cloak. "You're there for me in my thoughts and in my dreams. You're my mentor, my best friend, my biggest opponent. You're here for me now that I'm crying, and you're the reason I'm still alive. Even when you hurt me... Even when you hated me, when I had just killed Roman, when you wanted to drive me insane... You're my everything, Neo, and nothing can change that."

The thread that connected them pulsed, glowing brilliantly with their interconnected auras. Ruby's core radiated with the turmoil of happiness and confusion and fear and love spinning inside of Neo's. There was a feeling of wholeness that had been missing, and now that it had returned the corrosion vanished into the nebulous mix of thoughts, emotions, and memories. _Ruby..._

"That's what I said to Blake," Ruby whispered, their foreheads pressed together as she held Neo's hands tightly. "That's what I wanted to say to you."

Neo broke down, falling into Ruby's arms. Quietly, Ruby stroked her hair out of her face as she curled up in her lap, her body shaking uncontrollably as she mentally clung to Ruby. _I should have been there. I should have been there for you. I- I- I-_

 _Things are working out, Neo. I made up with Blake, and we- we're like a team, now. Weiss, she's brought us all together, and we're going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay._

 _I don't want you to be one of them, Ruby. Meeting you- Meeting you is the best thing that's ever happened to me, even if I was too blinded by grief to see it._

 _You loved Roman._

 _I did, but he was always one of them. He was kind to me, and I know he loved me, but he was always one of them. Even when you cut yourself off, you've never been one of them. You're just Ruby._

 _And you're just Neo._

Neo laughed shakily, pushing herself back to a sitting position. _You meant it, when you said you love me._

 _I still do._

 _You know how problematic that is right? I mean-_

 _You're eight years older than me, we have a mental bond that lets me control you, and we've spent most of the time we've known each other with you trying to make me crazy and me hurting you?_

 _Yeah. Pretty much that._

 _I don't know, Neo._ Ruby stared at her, losing herself in Neo's eyes as they shifted to light pink and brown. _I know you, in a way I don't think I could ever know anyone else. I can't just ignore it, and even if I could, you would still be able to see it._

 _You love me…_

 _I do._ Ruby might have been surprised at how firmly she said that a year ago – hell, she hadn't even known love really was a year ago. Now, though, she didn't even hesitate.

 _What are we going to do, Ruby?_

 _Just… please don't leave me like that again…_ Ruby started to cry again, and this time Neo held her. _It was so empty without you, Neo… It worked out for the better, but- I wanted to go with you. I wanted you here, and you weren't, and-_

 _You're freezing, Ruby._ Neo pulled her cloak around her shoulders and pulled her to her feet. _Come on, I haven't had dinner yet. I can make us more of Nora's pancakes, and then we can have ice cream._

 _I bought neapolitan for you,_ Ruby said, pulling her cloak tighter to herself as Neo held her hand. The physical contact was reassuring, and tangible proof that Neo was actually there.

 _Raven didn't exactly have refrigerators. Or really electricity at all. I'd rather sleep with Team Douchebag than there, I don't know how she stands it._ As they neared the school, Neo sighed and let her illusion slide down her body. _Ruby, we should stop holding hands._

 _But-_

 _Do you want more rumors about you?_

 _I guess you're right._

Compared to the freezing January air, Beacon felt like a sauna. Ruby wiped her eyes as they entered the main hall, relishing the glow of happiness and connection she had been missing for the past week. _So, you've seen everything that happened here. What happened with Raven?_

 _I could just show you after you go to sleep._

 _Nah, that's no fun. I want to hear about it from you._ Ruby bumped into her, accidentally poking her with Rising Thorn. Neo did a double take when she saw the weapon.

 _So that's Summer's weapon?_

Ruby slung the assault rifle off her back and rested the bump stock on her shoulder. _It's literally the coolest thing I've ever seen in my entire life. Check this out!_ The gun transformed into the naginata, the blade glowing blue as Ruby activated the ice dust cartridge. Activating her semblance, she sprinted through one of the basic katas Tai had shown her then turned it back into an assault rifle and re-sheathed it.

 _You're going to destroy Grimm with that thing._

 _That's the plan._

Ruby's body seemed to move faster than her mind, her heart beating furiously as they reached the kitchen. In the end, she ended up doing most of the cooking as Neo lounged on the couch making snarky comments.

It wasn't until they were seated across from each other eating that Ruby finally brought the conversation back to what they were both thinking but refusing to say. _So, is that it? Can we- Are we going back to normal, just like that?_

 _Is this normal anymore? Has this ever been normal? What do you want?_

What did she want? _I love this, Neo. Over winter break, after I had woken up… Just being around you, talking to you… I don't know how it fell apart so fast. Why does what happened before have to affect anything? Why do my feelings for you have to affect anything?_

 _They don't._ Neo had dumped a big scoop of ice cream on top of her pancakes, and she was ravenously making her way through the stack. _I- You've seen my "childhood," Ruby. What I had was pathetic. Getting to be with you, just having things be normal for once in my life… This is more than I ever could have asked for._

 _So what does that make us?_

Neo must have heard the longing in her question because she smiled sadly and shook her head. _Friends, for right now at least, but not like how we were. I'm tired of us walking on eggshells around each other, Ruby. Can- Can we promise that we'll tell each other everything, no matter what? I just want to live normally, even if it's only for a little bit._

 _Fine, but under one condition._

 _What?_

 _Neo, will you go with me to the dance in five days?_

Neo smirked at her, and Ruby smiled back at the familiar expression. _What if I've just been seducing you this whole time, and this is just bearing the fruits of my labor?_

 _So yes?_

 _Yes, Rose. You're still as dense as ever._ As Neo ate the last bite of her food, Ruby ran around the table and wrapped her arms around Neo

 _Alright! Are you ready to rock the dance floor, my totally platonic best friend who just happens to be extremely sexy?_

 _Oh, don't forget the telepathy!_

 _How could I?_

That night, as Neo tucked her into her bed, Ruby felt whole again. She had no nightmares or dreams that night, only peaceful sleep.

Everything was going to be alright. As long as she had her friends and Neo by her side, it felt as though nothing could go wrong.

* * *

"Hello? Cinder?"

"Hello Emerald. I trust everything has been going according to plan?"

"Yes, of course."

"And how are the faunus and the other girl?"

"I don't know why you want to work with the White Fang. He's a stupid asshole, but Ironwood loves him for some reason. The other girl, Violet Rose, she went back to Mistral and just came back. She doesn't spend any time with us."

"Dane serves a purpose, and it would be… wise of us to make him feel important."

"I have to admit… After Roman died, I wasn't sure whether we would be able to come back, but the new plan is working even better than the old one."

"You and Mercury have done well. I'm proud of how far the two of you have come. Any other students of note?"

"Well, Ruby Rose is… they call her Black Rose here. The rumors talk about how she beat up a bully before killing him, and how her scythe and her cloak are stained with Grimm blood. Course, her scythe was destroyed by Harkan, so that's one fewer problem we have to worry about."

"Those are the rumors. What have _you_ seen?"

"A scared girl with depression in over her head."

"Anything else?"

"Blake Belladonna goes here, but we've already talked about her. Pyrrha Nikos is just as skilled as ever, she's got a boyfriend too. That kid can barely hold his sword. The Schnee brat seems like she has trouble holding her team together, and none of the upperclassmen are particularly exceptional."

There was a brief silence on the other line. "Our plans are moving into place. We will talk more when I pay my visit during the dance. The cards have fallen in our favor, it would seem. Harkan will be pleased. He has informed us that he is… hungry. I'm sure you understand."

"Y-Yeah, Merc and I will see you soon."

"Oh, and Emerald?"

"Yeah, Cinder?"

"It's… nice to hear your voice. Watts is rather horrible company alone."

"It's nice to talk to you too Cinder!"

"Goodbye, Emerald. Don't forget your mission."

"Of course. Bye Cinder. Hopefully, we can talk again soon..."

Mercury shook his head as he leaned against the wall. "She hung up on you, didn't she?"

Emerald glared at him, turning to stare back up at Beacon's illuminated form. "Come on, we have work to do."

* * *

 **[A/N] This story hit three big milestones last week, which is absolutely insane! First off, let me thank you guys for 300 follows and 200 favorites. It makes me so happy to know that so many people enjoy my writing, and I'm eternally grateful to all of you for giving me the platform.**

 **The third big milestone we hit was 100 reviews, and I want to take this moment to personally thank all of my amazing reviewers who have supported nineteen chapters of this story. Thank you to Rivian Azure, AndJrew76, Yuri-sage, Guerra Bord, Nagaichi, Darkdragon0298, Sneky, Yubella, RavenRose8, Derox-1223, Random Useless Info, SatoshiKyu, Embler, FirstTimeStoryTeller, buildlancer, Sm0keyPanda, Hithilion, revan79, A Simple Cup, BetwixtOni, Tommy298, xCanaan, rwby enabler whiterose ladybug, ClexaWarrior2018, DennyIsMenece, Grubk1ng, ghost117239, 97, Summer-Rose-RWBY, Fast az lightning, redilier, dragonsword1000, bob115, Nerd315, AxleBoost, For Spite, Wolfman217, FuegoFox42, Dark-Silver96, Wyrmraker, ThornedRose367, and AngelofSol for all of your amazing support and feedback! All of you have helped me grow as a writer.**

 **Finally, I need to give an extra special shoutout to KHARAKI TAKAN, who has reviewed every chapter of this fic. Your reviews always provide me with that little nugget of wisdom or push to keep going, and your feedback has been super awesome. Thank you so, so much, to all of you! :)**

 **Next week is the finale – that means a 10k chapter, the re:Bound Volume Two Soundtrack, and maybe something else special depending on whether I get it done on time or not. Thank you so much again, and I can't wait to see everyone there!**

 **(Petals in the Ash will probably update this week, either on Wednesday or Thursday. Check it out on my profile!)**

 **Signing Out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 1/27/18**


	20. V2 - Radiance

Chapter Twenty: Radiance

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 1/27/18

* * *

 _You don't want to talk to him._

 _I don't know what I can say._

Ruby searched for a mirror in the bronze, for an excuse, as if finding herself at that moment would make her any less lost. Distortion stretched her into a murky brown streak, twisting around the engraved J and falling away at the edges. The metal was cold to touch, taller than her; a heavy-handed melody from Team JNPR's dorm room seemed to echo through the plaque into the hallway.

A hand rested on her shoulder, and Neo nodded to towards the doorknob. Yes _you do. You've been worrying about this for days, so let's just get it over with._

 _We both owe him an apology, for... Well-_

She shook her head, illusory energy flickering around her hand where she was touching Ruby. _I- Yeah. I'm not even sure why I thought making Jaune into our whipping boy was a good idea._

 _You tried to make me make you kill him that first day, too._

 _Eh, he doesn't need to ever know about that._ Neo grinned, leaning on Ruby with her elbow perched on Ruby's shoulder. _Besides, I've spent too much time around Team JNPR to kill him now. There's something adorable about how clueless he is, plus he and Pyrrha are cute together._

Ruby held back a snicker, and Neo rolled her eyes at her. Her friend's hair spilled over her shoulder, noticeably longer than it had been when she had left. There was something else though, something she couldn't quite seem to grasp. Maybe it was the way Neo was holding herself, or the mix of positive emotions she felt from her, but... _You've changed, I think._

Warmth flooded Ruby, and a blush rose to her cheeks as Neo slung her arm around her neck and let her emotions trickle into Ruby's thoughts. _Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I'm just glad not to be alone anymore._ One of her eyes turned white, and she smirked slightly. _That's your fault, you know._

 _I should just do it. Yeah. Are you going to come in with me or no?_

 _Nah. Yang and Weiss are off planning the dance, so I'm going to go play with Zwei!_ She flashed Ruby an innocent look, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

 _And Blake?_

 _Are you kidding me? Two of her least favorite things in the same room, she'll probably think we're conspiring against her!_

 _Are you?_

Neo burst with childish energy as she exclaimed, _Obviously! I'll be around, Zwei and I are going on a top secret mission to put catnip in all of the tuna._

Ruby sighed happily as Neo bounced away into her dorm room. _I'm so glad_ _s_ _he's getting better. Less depressed about Roman, less angry at me, less hung up on her past..._

Jaune was hunched over his guitar as she turned the doorknob and slipped into the room. He hammered on the strings, missing a beat or a note here and there, but clearly lost in his own world. She watched him for a moment, the way his straw-colored hair fell into his face as his foot tapped out a haphazard beat on the threadbare carpet. _I- How could I have ever been so mean to him? How was I so oblivious to the people in front of me, that I let Neo convince me that I needed him as a_ pawn _?_

Closing the door, she cleared her throat. "Um, hi Jaune..."

Jaune's head shot up, clearly startled, and he fumbled with his instrument for a moment before setting it down on the bed beside him. "R-Ruby? What are you doing in here?"

"Um..." Ruby traced a line across the floor with her foot, regretting letting Neo talk her into doing this. "I was actually hoping that maybe we could talk, if you don't mind."

He stared at her for a moment, then shrugged and looked out the window. "Fine, I don't care. Just, make it fast, okay?"

Hesitantly, she made her way toward her bed. When she angled to sit next to him, he pulled his guitar next to him to block the surface. Instead, she settled on Pyrrha's bed across from him, folding her hands in her lap. "...I wanted to apologize. For everything, what I said, what I did."

"I don't get it." Jaune's expression was cold, and his fists dug into the mattress beneath him. "Pyrrha and Yang both talk about you all the time, about how amazing you are and how hard Beacon and killing that thief have been for you. I've tried to be nice to you, but since the first day I've met you you've been ignoring me. I just figured that you were just Yang's little sister, and if you didn't want to be friends with me then I would still be nice to you because _she's_ my friend, not you."

"Oh," Ruby whispered

He wasn't done. "The seven of us, my team and yours, we've been giving you every opportunity to join us and you never take it. And then, when you found out my secret, suddenly you're waking me up at four am and beating me when I failed your crazy training, with your weird aura thing and your scary eyes... And now you just expect me to forgive you?"

"I don't know." Ruby stared at her feet, unable to meet his eyes. She didn't know what she could say to him – talking about Neo was out of the question. The silence stretched on, and after a bit, Jaune picked his guitar back up and began strumming again as he waited for her to talk. "You seem different."

"Confidence, I guess, not like you know me well enough to care."

She winced at the bitterness he directed at her. "What changed?"

"Pyrrha," he answered simply.

"You guys make a cute couple."

"Thanks, I guess."

Ruby sighed, the words she needed to say finally coming to mind. "You're right. I was awful to you, and you don't have to forgive me. I... wasn't myself last semester, but this semester is different. Jaune, from what Pyrrha says, you're a really great guy. I think if things had gone a bit differently we could have been really good friends. If you ever change your mind, I'm right across the hall."

Jaune sighed and looked away. "I don't know, Ruby. You say things are going to be different, but... I don't know if I believe you. We're not blind to how dysfunctional your team is. Maybe I'll believe you when I see it. Just... Pyrrha trusts you, for some reason. If you hurt her, you'll pay for it."

"I would never," she whispered, disheartened as his eyes fell. "I'm sorry, Jaune."

"So am I, Ruby. So am I."

* * *

 _Ruby, hurry up! How are you still in the bathroom?_

 _I'm coming, I'm coming!_ Ruby tucked her towel back onto the rack, shaking out her wet hair. Her cotton pajamas were soft to the touch as she pulled them over her head. Stepping out of the bathroom, she turned the lights out behind her, walking to the common room. _Were you watching me?_

 _Oh, come on. We both know I see your memories as soon as you make them unless you purposefully block me out. Besides, I've seen you naked plenty._

Ruby rolled her eyes as she walked over to the couch and slumped down next to Neo. _I never said that I had a problem with it. I just- No._ _You didn't._ A familiar scent wafted over from the kitchen, almost to good to be true.

Neo grinned at her. _You know I did._

Ruby squealed as she jumped up and pressed her nose against the oven door. _You made me cookies? Using Yang's recipe!?_

 _I knew you'd be happy,_ she said smugly as Ruby threw her arms around her, sending her a rapid-fire stream of excitement and incoherent explanations which slowly settled into a steady glow of happiness.

 _Thank you_ , she finally made out after calming down slightly. Rolling off of Neo, she grabbed the edge of the blanket and slid her feet underneath, curling her toes as the warmth enveloped her legs. A porticoed pane over the sink reflected the dimly lit alcoves that dotted Beacon's hallways, too dark to see the wizened oaks growing outside. Sitting still was comfort food, watching the slow rise of cookies together. After a few minutes, Neo's head drooped to rest on Ruby's shoulder. Her hair smelled like strawberries in a spring breeze, and the even rise and fall of her chest soothed Ruby's lingering aches from their training session.

Eventually, the cookies finished baking, by which time Neo had long since fallen asleep. Ruby gently extricated herself from her embrace and slid the baking sheet out of the oven. Pouring herself a glass of milk, the cookies melted in her mouth as she quietly watched her sleep.

Soft light spilled across her face, peacefully drifting into shadows and pooling at the tip of her nose. Deep sienna hair cascaded down her chest, coming to rest on her upturned fingertips, arms splayed, elbows nested against her chest. A small smile graced her face, free of intention and fear, hopeful to the night.

Finishing off the plate, she settled onto the couch, nestling against her back as she pulled the blanket over and let her eyes drift shut. When she finally made it to sleep, Neo was waiting for her, lying in a meadow of summer wildflowers. "What took you so long?" she asked, her voice musical. Ruby's heart ached every time she heard it, knowing that she would never be able to use it beyond their dreams.

"You're beautiful," she said, settling down in the grass beside her.

The world flickered for a moment, before Neo murmured, "You don't really mean that, though, You've seen me, seen my scars..."

She trailed off as Ruby gently showed her the image of what she had just seen. "You look so happy in your sleep."

"This is really how you see me?" Neo rolled over and reached out, delighting at the spark as their fingers brushed against each other.

Ruby just smiled at her. "You came back, Neo. You're really back. I was so scared when you left."

"I told you I was going to come back, idiot," she whispered. "Didn't you listen to me?"

"Neo." The breeze carried the petals around them into the sky as their hands intertwined. _This is what I wanted, the first time. Together in summer… This… This is perfect._

"Yeah?"

Staring into the deep white pools of Neo's eyes, Ruby reached out with all her heart and everything she had. "I love you."

And Neo reached back, reached out and took Ruby's life in her own, and held it with the weight of her world. "I'm here now, Rose. I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens. Do you remember what I said to you, the first day we arrived back at Beacon?"

 _You don't have to be alone anymore._ "I remember."

"I wanted you to live normally. I wanted you to get to be with your sister, and to make friends, and to not let me ruin your life any more than I already had." Ruby gasped as memories flooded into her head, of intent and plans. Neo closed her eyes, tensing in shame. "I was going to let you settle in, and then I was going to leave. I was going to go murder the rest of Roman's men and maybe Cinder, then go find Raven. I was going to, if Blake hadn't stopped us."

"You were just going to leave?"

Neo flickered in her embrace. "Yeah.

"Why didn't you?" Ruby felt raw, open; Neo knew her, her mind, her thoughts, and suddenly they were back at the edge of the cliff, watching the broken moon and dangling their feet over the edge.

"I thought leaving would free you. I thought leaving would free _me_ , but that wasn't right." Neo squeezed her hand, and Ruby squeezed back. "It's so easy to be with you, to make you happy, to hurt you, but I'm a mess, Ruby. I've killed so many people because of them, I can't even _say_ their names out loud, and you've given me all of you but I'm still too scared to show you Roman or Au- Au- Augustus.

 _Augustus._ The name hung heavy in the air between them, carrying a heavy significance Ruby couldn't ignore. "Was he the fourth? Was he the _him_ that Raven mentioned?" When Neo nodded, Ruby drew her closer to her chest. "Neo, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"But I want to. I told you, I want to tell you everything." Neo twisted a blade of grass around her finger, deep in thought. "I want you to know me like I know you. We're never going to be normal, Ruby. Unless one of us dies, this is going to be the rest of our lives. I don't deserve you. You deserve better than this."

"I don't get it. If- If this is what you wanted, to leave me to live my own life, then why... Why did you come back?"

"I was so afraid, Ruby," she whispered. "I thought I was falling into the same trap again, where they would order me around and take away my freedom and make me _feel_ things, things that I didn't truly feel. And when you confessed to me, I was so confused. I didn't know what I felt, but it didn't go away when I left with Raven. I talked to her, about everything. I've told her things I can't even bring myself to think about with you. I thought it would go away, but it only got worse without you around."

The thought already burned in Ruby's mind, but she wanted to hear Neo say it. She wanted to hear Neo, to be her light. "Why? Why me?"

"You told me you love me, that night." Neo smiled at her, the same gentle smile she had worn sleeping on the couch. "And I ran away because I was too scared to say 'so do I.' I won't run away anymore. I won't leave you alone again."

"I love you, Neo," Ruby murmured, silver on white, red on pink.

"So do I, Ruby."

 _So do I._

* * *

 _One, two, three!_

Ruby and Neo let go of the tablecloth, letting it drift down to come to a rest on the circular cocktail table. Stepping back, they admired their handiwork.

Beacon's great hall was fully decked out for the formal dance. Blake drapes stretched across the windows, and the last rays of sun filtered through. A wide ring of tables with light gray coverings surrounded the vinyl dance floor, two massive speakers flanking the stylized DJ table. A wide buffet was set out across one wall, and the rest of team WBYRJNPR was hard at work putting the final touches together.

 _Good teamwork?_

 _Hell yeah._ They high fived as Weiss stepped into the center of the dance floor and cleared her throat into her megaphone.

"Alright everyone, we've got less than an hour to finish this, and it's got to be perfect! Ruby and Violet, if you're done with the tablecloths then start putting the centerpieces together! Ren, make Nora stop eating all the hor d'oeuvres! Blake, Yang, I don't know what you're doing behind that table but you're _supposed_ to be choosing the music!"

"We are!" Yang yelled as she popped her head up from behind the table, her tone undercut by her mischievous smile and a quiet laugh from Blake. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Ice Queen!"

"Hey! I'm in charge of this dance, so you better be taking this seriously, Yang!" Weiss yelled in the megaphone.

"Oh, please, when am I ever anything but serious?" Yang yelled back as a hand snaked up and pulled her back down in a fit of laughter.

"Why do I even bother?" Weiss asked herself, before calling, "and Jaune and Pyrrha – where did they go?" She looked around the room before spotting them behind a balloon covered column, pressed against the colorful streamers. "Guys! What did I stay? Stay focused!"

Pyrrha just grinned and waved at her as they broke apart. "We're sorry, Weiss!" Jaune sighed wistfully and ran his hand through his mussed hair. Glaring at them, Weiss groaned and stomped over to a box of decorations.

 _Neo, can you do the centerpieces for a second?_

 _Mhm._

Weiss' head snapped up, and she frowned as Ruby walked towards her. "Aren't you supposed to be doing centerpieces?"

"Nah, it's fine. Ne- Violet's got it."

Weiss shot her a funny look as she pulled herself up to sit on the table. "You've been in an unusually good mood today. Did something happen?"

Ruby smiled to herself as she thought back to the night before, shooting Neo a furtive look. "Nope," she said, popping the p. Weiss raised her scarred eyebrow at her, the old wound tensing white across her forehead.

"So you don't want to tell me. Got it." She reached into the box and pulled out a stack of doilies. "I'm glad you feel better, though. Yang and I were worried that we would have to drag you here, or something."

She helped her partner pull the rest of the stuff out of the box. "It's going to be _fine_ , Weiss. You and Yang did awesome, so why are you so stressed?"

"I know that, dunce." Weiss shoved her lightly, rolling her eyes as Ruby snickered and pushed her back. "It's nice to have my partner back again. I thought I had you, then you had to go and get yourself in a coma."

Ruby didn't want to ruin the mood, but the question had been lingering since Weiss and Yang had told her what they knew. "And you-"

"Shh." Weiss draped a finger over Ruby's lips, shaking her head. "You're my partner, and unlike Blake and Yang, I haven't been completely oblivious to how you feel. I'll admit, six months ago I was ready to let you walk off Beacon Cliff and die, but now, well..."

"Now you're our leader?"

"Yeah. It's weird, you know. I used to hate my father's leadership workshops, but now I get it. I disagree with just about everything he ever taught us, but..." Weiss caught her eyes. "It's hard to believe now that I ever let stupid things like race and your age get in the way of my team. I trust you, Ruby. You and Blake will tell us your big secret someday, but for now, I'm just glad that everything seems like it's back to normal."

Hugging her, Ruby said, "You're the best leader, Weiss."

Weiss hugged her back before they broke apart and turned back to the decorations. "You know, you're a pretty good partner too when you're sane. C'mon, help me with the rest of this. We've got a dance to throw."

* * *

The red heels glared at her from her bed, lying idly as if to mock her. How could shoes be so pointy and shiny? _Neo, should I wear these heels?_

 _Why the hell are you asking me?_

Neo snapped at her. Ruby could feel her nerves, so she didn't think anything of it.

 _Because I'm wearing this stupid thing for you, and if you don't want me to wear them I won't._

 _Oh. Um..._ Neo wasn't doing a very good job of keeping her deliberation from Ruby, and she couldn't help but laugh.

 _You really do like me being taller than you, don't you?_

 _That's- I never said-_

Ruby shot her a mental image of slipping the red heels on, groaning as she shoved her feet into the narrow shoes. _It's fine, I'm dressing up for you anyways._ She pushed off of Weiss' bed and got to her feet. Wobbling and sticking her arms out to keep her balance, she shakily walked over to the mirror and grimaced at her reflection. _Ugh, I hate dresses._

 _Shut up, you look pretty. Besides, you're the one who wears a combat skirt all the time!_

 _But that's different!_

 _Are you ready? I'm waiting outside._

 _One second…_ Ruby slipped her scroll into the pocket of her dressing and turning the lights of her dorm room off – Weiss, Yang, and Blake had all gone ahead to greet people already. _Alright, I'm…_ The door swung open, revealing Neo standing in the hallway waiting.

She wore a white dress, made of an airy fabric that drifted around her legs. Pink lace adorned the edges, and the bodice hugged her breasts and covered her shoulders. Her pink and brown hair swirled together in a messy bun, and she wore red lip gloss and two different colors of eyeliner.

Neo stared at the ground, tracing the carpet with her knee-high white boot. _I used to dress up for them, so I had lots of custom-made dresses and makeup at Roman's apartment. Nobody had been there in months, I had Raven help me break in and get the extra key. I wasn't sure if you would like it…_

A shiver ran down Ruby's spine, her chest tightening as she gawked at Neo. _Never_ had she seen her so feminine – not in dreams, and certainly not awake. The dress was revealing in new ways, like how she could trace the gentle curves of her hips or the hopeful shimmer in her pink and white eyes. _You look like a girl…_

She received an eye roll, which annoyed her sometimes but now made her stomach turn with desperate anticipation. _I always look like a girl, Ruby._

 _No, but I mean like a girly girl, like-_

 _And you're wearing a dress, what else is new?_

Ruby carefully stepped out of her room and took Neo's hand in her own, relishing in the light blush that crossed her face. _You're beautiful._

 _So are you._

 _But I'm not_. _I mean, look at me! I look like a twelve-year-old playing dress up in my parent's closet, and these stupid heels – how does Weiss live in these things? And then you're, well, you! You're so pretty, and you actually look like a woman and I'm just a teenager and-_

Heat flashed between the two girls as Neo stepped forwards to come chest to chest with her, gently pushing a finger against her lips. She looked up at Ruby, vulnerable in a way that stirred a deep protectiveness in her chest. _Last night, you showed me how you see me. Let me show you how I see you._

She blinked, and suddenly she was looking up at herself. Neo stepped back, and Ruby stared at the unfamiliar girl before her. Something deep shone in her silver eyes, awkwardly clutching her arms to hide her chest, a deep blush emblazoning her cheeks. There was a glow about her, red aura highlighting her petite frame like a corona of dust.

 _Ruby, you're beautiful, and I won't let you think anything otherwise._ Neo slipped her hand into Ruby's as she fell back into her own body, dazed. _C'mon, are we going to stand in the hallway all night or are we going to this dance?_

A wave of deep calm washed over Ruby as she admired Neo, letting the shorter girl lead her down the hall towards the great hall. _Yeah. I think I'm ready to dance._

* * *

"And done."

Yang sat back in her chair with a satisfied sigh as Blake hovered the cursor over the start button. "Ready?"

She nodded, and Blake pressed the key. The entire room was silenced as a single drum beat blasted from the oversized speakers. Yang met her partner's eyes with a wild grin, and Blake grinned back as she offered her the megaphone. Standing up on her chair, she cleared her throat as the beat slowly built up, before pausing for a momentary lull at the climax of the build up. A hush fell across the crowd as she caught Yang's thumbs up and responding in kind.

Taking a deep breath, Yang shook her hair out and yelled into the megaphone. "Who's ready to get this party started?!" The beat dropped, and the crowd of students went wild as EDM exploded from the speakers and rose across the vinyl floor. She mic dropped the megaphone and collapsed back into the chair, kicking her feet up onto the DJ table.

"We did good," Blake said as she rested a hand on Yang's arm.

"All of it was for you, Blake. You can blame Weiss for that."

Her partner scooted their chairs closer together, and they spent the next few songs leaning against each other watching the dance below. Once the initial excitement had worn off a bit, Blake offered Yang her hand. "Wanna dance?"

"You know I do," she said with a grin as she let her partner sweep her away onto the dance floor.

They lost themselves in the music and each other as the dance music slowly made way to slower songs. Swaying back and forth, Yang's arms wrapped around Blake, it was the perfect moment to-

"Hey Blake! How's it going?"

Yang and Blake broke out of their private reverie and turned to face the two boys that had addressed Blake. One was _nearly shirtless_ with a waving tail holding a punch cup, and the other had blue hair that just screamed "I'm trying really hard right now."

Blake smiled at them as she looped her arm through Yang's. "Hey Sun, I wasn't sure if I'd see you tonight. Yang, this is Sun. Sun, Yang." _So this is Sun! I hate him already._

Sun shot Yang a cheeky grin as her eyes flashed red. "Hey, calm down, I wouldn't even dream of asking her out again. Besides, she's clearly taken." He turned back to Blake and shrugged. "After we heard that you and your team were throwing it, we figured we had to check it out! This is my friend, Neptune."

"Yo." Yang burst out laughing as Neptune threw them a two-fingered salute, and Blake rolled her eyes as he gave her a confused look. "What?"

She and Blake exchanged a knowing look, before Blake asked, "So, you two are together? You make a cute couple."

"Nah, but thanks. Neptune's my bro, we're on the best all-male team from Haven," Sun said, slinging his arm around Neptune's shoulder.

"I'm straight," Neptune said, shrugging apologetically.

"Ah, please, everyone's at least a little bit bi. I know you'll come around on me eventually," Sun said with a wink, and Neptune laughed.

"Dude, I've told you, Scarlet's totally into you."

Blake stifled a giggle as Yang laughed harder. "Sun, do you just hit on everyone you meet?"

"Nah, just smoldering cat ladies and guys with blue hair and hot abs- Ow!" Sun winced as Neptune and Yang both slugged him at the same time. "Anyways, assuming your possessive girlfriend over here doesn't kill me first, wanna dance for a bit Blake? Platonic, obviously. Figure I still owe you one for the coffee shop."

Turning to Yang, Blake pulled her towards her and whispered, "Are you going to get weird and jealous again if I dance with him?"

"You can see his abs, Blake!" Yang hissed, eyeing Sun who had turned back to Neptune.

"And what about his abs?"

"They're nice abs, I don't know!"

"But you like my abs better, right?"

"Yes, but-" Blake's eyes sparkled with mirth, and Yang frowned. "He's your friend, right?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Tell him I'll punch him through the roof if he touches you," she acquiesced.

Blake kissed her softly before taking a step back. "Have I ever told you that you're hot when you get possessive?"

Yang's mind went blank as Blake and Sun walked away talking onto the dance floor. In the days since they had reconciled, it had been a whirlwind of kissing and dance planning and training and more kissing, and it was better than she had ever dreamed. Blake was present, and besides the video, which was still gaining traction, she had never seen her partner happier.

Neptune grinned at her as she slowly realized she was just standing there staring off into space. "Seems like you've got someone special there."

Yang beamed back, too high on the lingering taste of her partner's lips to get annoyed at him. _He really is way too cool._ "Yeah, I really think I do." She caught a sign of Weiss standing alone in the upper galley. "Hey, I've gotta go. Nice to meet you, Neptune."

"Yeah, you too," he said, waving at her as she walked towards the nearest staircase in search of her leader.

* * *

Weiss leaned against the wooden banister, letting her hand run across the length of the wood. Her heels pressed into the carpeted balcony as she stared down at the party below, deep in thought.

"We really did it, huh?"

She nodded as Yang walked up beside her, propping her elbow up on the balcony. "Yes, I would say it came together quite well."

"Thanks to you, of course." She didn't respond, and her teammate sighed and grabbed her hand. "Weiss, what's really wrong? Why are you up here alone?"

"It's… It's nothing." Weiss looked away from Yang, their white dresses blending against each other. "I'm just watching the dance, that's all."

"Weiss, I know something is wrong. You can just tell me, you know." Yang poked her, and Weiss shook her head and sighed.

"You and Blake are adorable together, you know."

Yang's eyes widened. "Are you-"

"You and Blake. Jaune and Pyrrha. Ren and Nora have always been inseparable. And that just leaves, well," Weiss gave her a bitter half smile. "Me."

"And Ruby is… well, Ruby, huh."

"Yeah."

Yang pulled her into a tight hug, and Weiss let some of the tension she had been holding back loose and relaxed into her teammate's arms. "Weiss, you're my best friend. You know that you can tell me anything, and I'm always here for you."

"Am I really a good leader, Yang?"

"Are you kidding me? Yes, Weiss, you're amazing!"

Weiss let go of Yang, and she held her left wrist with her other hand. "My entire life, my father has been training and grooming me to become the next heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. I guess on some level when I came here… I was hoping that maybe I would get to be a part of the team for once, instead of in charge of everything."

"Weiss..."

She shook her head and kept talking. "Don't get me wrong – Professor Port and Professor Ozpin have definitely made me into a better leader, but… Wasn't this the only reason Father let me into Beacon in the first place? To learn how to lead people and to use his big book to plan glitzy parties? It's just… Keeping all of us together for the last semester has been so exhausting, Yang. Watching Ruby spiral, and you and Blake going down with her. It's not your fault, but _I_ 've been the one who's had to pick up the pieces. You know that I sing, right?"

Yang nodded mutely.

Weiss took a deep breath and slowly began to sing. Her voice was quiet compared to the music blasting from the speakers below, but Yang could hear every lyric loud and clear.

 _"Who am I to complain?_

 _My life's been spared so much pain_

 _Born with all that I need_

 _My comforts all guaranteed_

 _So what's the problem_

 _What's keeping me_

 _From moving forward_

 _It's hard to see_

 _I should be free now_

 _I should be fine_

 _But the life I fought for_

 _Still isn't mine_

 _Some believe in fairy stories_

 _And the ghosts that they can't see_

 _I know that I could do so much_

 _If I could just believe in me_

 _Mirror mirror_

 _Tell me something_

 _Can I stop my fall?_

 _Years of scorn will leave you cold_

 _'Forget your dreams do what you're told'_

 _When disapproval's all you're shown_

 _The safest place becomes alone_

 _And isolation's_

 _The price you pay_

 _And every friendship_

 _Is pushed away_

 _But bit by bit now_

 _A step each day_

 _I'm slowly starting_

 _To find my way_

 _Some believe in fairy stories_

 _And the ghosts that they can't see_

 _I know that I could do so much_

 _If I could just believe in me_

 _Mirror mirror_

 _I'll tell you something_

 _I think I might change it all..."_

Weiss let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in, turning back to Yang. Her teammate stared at her, her expression broken, before flinging her arms around Weiss again. "You're not alone. You're never alone, Weiss. We're here for you, I'm here for you," she whispered fiercely.

Weiss' shoulders began to shake, and her fingers grasped at the sleeves of Yang's dress. "You're so _lucky_ , Yang. You have- You have a partner who loves you, and I don't even have a partner at all. Ruby's never been there. That first night after we were assigned teams when I was the _only one_ in the entire school who didn't have a partner, I cried myself to sleep. Even after she came… She left me _alone_ in the Emerald Forest for _thirty-five minutes_. I tried, I tried to help us come together, I tried to teach us, I tried team building, I tried, and she just drifted and then so did Blake, and you were the only one helping me keep us together, then this semester after they fought you and Blake fought, and then _I_ was the only one who stopped us from falling apart all together."

"You're not alone," Yang echoed, but it seemed to ring hollow by the electronic pounding ringing across the party.

"But I am. I've never felt more alone in my entire life," Weiss whispered, before sinking to her knees and bursting into tears. "I try so hard to be a good leader. I know more than you guys think so that I can help when you need it. But I'm a leader, not a teammate. Not a friend, really. You're the only person I've talked to in more than small talk and commands since I've gotten here, and you know nothing about me."

"Weiss, that's not true!" Yang said, holding her as she produced a handkerchief from her pocket and noisily blew her nose.

"What do you know about my family? About my hobbies? About my past?"

"I…"

"All I wanted when I came to Beacon was to be normal. I just wanted to be free of my father, and all of that. This was never what I wanted. I just wanted to get to be a normal kid for once in my life, but this… The responsibility, keeping us together…" Weiss pulled her knees to her chest, a strangled sob escaping into her hands. "I can't do this anymore, Yang. I can't."

Yang ran her fingers through Weiss' tight ponytail, squeezing her tight and shaking her head. "Shh… Shh… I'm here for you, Weiss. It's okay, it's all going to be okay. Blake and I made up, Ruby and Blake made up, nothing bad is going to happen. It's okay for you to relax, to not worry about being a leader for one day, to _tell_ us things. You can rely on us, Weiss. We're here for you, even Ruby."

"That's- that's what Ozpin said, but- How?" Her voice broke as she leaned against Yang. "You fell apart, Yang. All three of you did. If I hadn't been there for you-"

"Just because you're here for us doesn't mean we can't be here for you, silly," Yang murmured. "You don't have to be perfect, and you don't have to hide who you are and how you feel from us! You don't have to be alone anymore."

Weiss didn't have anything else to say, so they simply held each other for a while, drifting high above the glitz and thrum of the party they had spent so much time and effort to put together. Yang was her rock, she was cast adrift, but maybe, just maybe, WBYR was finding their way to shore.

 _You don't have to be alone anymore._

* * *

Later, throbbing base had made way for soft ballads. Couples slowly swayed back and forth across the dance floor, Destiny Blue softly crooning through the speakers. Jaune hummed along to the music as he and Pyrrha rocked back and forth on the dance floor.

"You really do like this music, don't you?" Pyrrha teased, years of practice and formal balls keeping her upright as she dodged Jaune's awkward feet in her heels. _Thanks, Mom, I suppose all of those awful dance lessons really did come in handy one day._

"Hey, it's nice, okay?" he said, pulling at his tuxedo collar with a lopsided grin. "Besides, it feels special now, kinda."

"We were flying, weren't we?"

"What can I say? You're magnetic," Jaune quipped, laughing as she rolled her eyes.

Pyrrha spun him around, letting him fall back into her arms and leaning towards him. "Don't start sounding like Yang on me now."

Weakly, he protested, "Shouldn't I be the one dipping you?"

Kissing him, Pyrrha pulled him back up into a standing position. "I'm surprised your sisters never taught you how to dance."

"Well, they did, just not formal stuff like this." His face flushed as he muttered, "They liked putting me in tutus and making me try their ballet routines." She burst out laughing. "Hey, it's not that funny!"

"I'm sorry, it's just, well…" Pyrrha pressed her hand against his chest. "I don't care that you have so many sisters, Jaune. I think you're a wonderfully masculine guy, and not knowing how to lead doesn't change that. You would look _amazing_ in a dress, though."

Jaune gulped. "I, um, may have a _few_ pictures on my scroll my sisters took of me while they were playing dress up with me. Besides, Ren would look way better in a dress than I would."

"He would." They both turned to look at Ren and Nora, who were happily dancing off to the side of the dance floor. "They would make a great couple, wouldn't they?"

"Yeah..."

They danced for a while longer, Jaune deep in thought as Pyrrha watched him. Finally, she poked his arm and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"What? No, of course not! These past two weeks have been, well, amazing really. I just never want this night to end."

Pyrrha lifted his chin up to look him in the eyes. "Then don't think about endings. Let's just be here and now, okay?"

"I'm just… I never thought I would have a close friend here, let alone someone like you Pyrrha." Jaune closed his eyes, soaking in her presence and the music around them. "I'm just so scared that somehow it'll all slip away, that none of this has been real."

"Jaune." He stared at her as she kissed him again. "I'm real. This is real. Neither of us are going to lose each other."

"You promise?" he asked, his tone raw as the final notes of the song faded away and the next began.

"Yeah. I won't let anything take this away from us," Pyrrha said. Dancing with Jaune, kissing under the cafeteria lights, pressed together like nothing in the world could take it away… This would be a night she would remember for the rest of her life.

 _I promise._

* * *

 _"_ _Baby, it's time to make up your mind_

 _I think that tonight is when our stars align..."_

The music faded away behind Ruby and Neo as they broke out onto the balcony, spinning around and laughing in the cold January air. Illusions flowed in the air around Neo like water, curling and spiraling into the sky. _I can't believe Yang actually played Casey Lee Williams for you._

 _She's not emo! It's art, I tell you, art!_

 _Right, because This Will Be The Day isn't angsty at all._

Ruby laughed as she leaned against the balcony and stared up at Beacon's shining tower. The school rose into the sky, burning bright against the dark and the shattered moon above. _It's so pretty._

 _Thank you, Ruby._

 _For what?_

Staring at Neo in the dark, her white dress softly glowing by the moonlight, Ruby couldn't help but remember how she had thought her to be like a doll. Dressed up, she looked like a scene from a storybook, the princess trapped in the tower waiting for her bride to come. It was such a far cry from the dark memory, pinning the other girl to rock as they hid from Harkan in the Emerald Forest. Then, Ruby had wondered how Neo could be so beautiful yet so broken. Once, the laughing girl at her side had been an illusion, a mystery, a puzzle to be solved.

Now she understood: it was the scars, the vulnerability, the turmoil boiling under the surface that made her seem so beautiful, so fragile yet powerful.

 _Everything._

Ruby stepped towards Neo, then paused as she flinched back. _Neo?_

 _You want to kiss me._

She considered denying it before remembering Neo could hear her thoughts. _Yeah, I do. You're beautiful, and tonight has been perfect. You don't want to, do you?_

Neo sighed regretfully as her eyes shifted colors, fingering the lacy edge of her dress. _You- You deserve to know why I have such a big problem with intimacy, and all of that. It's- I don't want to ruin this, and I- Kissing is, I-_

 _It's fine, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do._ Ruby smiled and took her hand instead. _I can wait until you're ready to show me everything, Neo._ _I won't pressure you, and I won't order you around anymore. You deserve better than that._

 _Thank you…_ _Wait, d_ _o you see that?_

 _See what?_

 _Look at the base of the CCT._

Ruby squinted at the door to the communications tower. _What about it?_

 _The guard is lying face down in the bush._

They exchanged a glance as Ruby nodded – sure enough, there was no guard by the door, and she could make out the green visor in the shrubbery. _What do we do?_

 _Use your semblance and figure out what's happening. I'll get Ozpin if it's bad._ Neo grabbed the back of Ruby's dress right as she was about to launch herself off the balcony. _Take off your heels, Rose. You aren't a fucking Schnee, be smart. You might have to fight._

Ruby kicked her heels off. _Thanks, Neo._

 _Good luck. I'll be right behind you._

Climbing onto the edge of the balcony, she squeezed Neo's hand one more time before launching herself into the night sky. Moments later, she reformed from the cloud of rose petals at the base of the CCT and ran to the bush. Tapping the guard's shoulder, she muttered, "Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay." When he didn't respond, she rolled his body over in the bush and immediately regretted it.

The man's helmet had been down, and a hole had been melted in the plastic in the shape of a handprint, along with his face below. Ruby dropped the body and staggered backward, looking around wildly to find three more guards slumped behind columns and in other bushes. _Dead. They're all dead._

Ruby's combat locker slammed into the ground next to her. Opening it up, she cursed as she found nothing but her gauntlets in the silver compartment. _No time to worry about that, I have to stop whoever is inside._ Jamming the weapons onto her wrists, she sprinted into the tower. Bodies were littered around the interior, victims of a bloody killing spree. The smell of charred flesh filled the air – from the look of it, some of the guards had been attempting to run away.

 _Holy fuck. Ozpin is coming, he's- Be careful, please._

Ruby's stomach turned as she stepped into the elevator. Closing her eyes to ignore the bodies on either side of her, she let the lift carry her to the communications deck. Stepping out, she cocked her gauntlets and opened her eyes.

 _We're too late._

Smashed computer screens. Another body draped across the main desk. Small fires burning away at the carpet all around the room.

 _Ruby._

 _…_

 _Ruby, listen to me! Close your eyes! Looking at it more is only going to make it worse._

Numb, Ruby let her eyes slip shut. She stood still for a minute, the heat slowly growing until Neo grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the elevator. _They're dead. All of them are dead._

 _It's okay, I'm here. Fuck. I can handle this stuff, why did I let you go ahead of me? Fuck!_

"Miss Rose." Ruby stared blankly at the ground as Ozpin addressed her. "Tell me exactly what you saw."

"We were on the balcony, and we spotted a man in the bushes," Ruby said in a monotone, too deeply shocked to protest as Neo pushed calm and hope across their bond. "His face was burned off, just like all the other guards, and the tower is on fire."

 _Cinder. It must have been Cinder. Cinder Fall, the psychotic fire bitch I showed you. I could have killed her. I should have killed her. Roman and I fought about it, he made me stay away from her, but she's the only one who could have done that._

"Cinder," Ruby muttered, Neo showing her the illusory woman she had seen before. _She was the hot one, right._

 _Was that a fucking pun?_

"How do you know that name?" There was a dangerous tone in Ozpin's voice that seemed to command them to turn to face him. His aura briefly flickered green around his body, and the elevator screeched to a halt.

 _Fuck, let me talk through you._

Ruby let her head droop as Neo evenly met the headmaster's furious glare. "Cinder Fall hired Roman to rob dust shops. All I know about her is that she had fire powers, she works for someone else, and she's a crazy psychotic bitch with enough power that Roman was fairly convinced she was going to succeed at the goals she refused to tell us. She sent him to rob Dust Before Dawn. She was his backup. She's the reason he's fucking dead."

"Roman Torchwick was working for Cinder Fall?" the headmaster whispered, his eyes widening as he looked at the wreckage around him. "I- I wish you would have trusted me enough to tell me that before now, Neopolitan. This- I have to tell Glynda, James, and Qrow."

"What does this mean?" Ruby/Neo asked, the question spinning in both of their minds.

Ozpin drew himself up to his full standing position. "Cinder Fall is the Fall Maiden. That's the information Qrow was able to deliver to us after his mission. If she was here, then that means that we've already failed." He released the power he was exerting on the elevator, and the doors slipped open. "Dead. No ordinary guard stands a chance against a maiden."

"This isn't your fault, either of you," Neo said, Ruby's voice harsher than she had ever heard.

The look Ozpin gave them was immeasurably old. "I'm afraid that you're wrong, Neopolitan. Perhaps one day I will explain, but this is my fault and my folly. You two should not have had to witness this. Please, return to the dance or your dorm room. The staff will clean up this mess. I will not this sorrow burden any other students."

"But it's okay for it to burden us?" Ruby asked, raising her head as tears threatened the corners of her eyes.

"Your bond, the knowledge you carry, is a burden greater than any other student at this academy," Ozpin said as they exited the CCT. "And for that, I am deeply sorry. I must go. Please do not linger."

Ruby didn't remember what exactly happened for the rest of the night. Perhaps it was the lingering scent of strawberry shampoo, or crying her eyes out into Neo's chest as they curled up together on her bed.

What she did remember in startling, vicious clarity was the vision Neo showed her that night.

* * *

Neo remembered when she had picked out the dress.

Three liked to take her places, to walk her around the broken burnt villages from their raids and make her do things. One time, they had found a relatively intact boutique – the owner had fled, and the store was removed from the town square and relatively intact. He had walked her down the row of dresses, occasionally making her strip and try on a new one.

The blue fabric was ripped down the middle, violent jags of cotton sitting harsh against her bruised skin. A cut on her side bled the sky purple, seeping into the folds. She laid on the bed where Three had left her after the attack had started, too lost, too numb to do anything more than slowly redress and pull a strip of the dress tight against the wound.

Screams came from beyond the tent, clashes and explosions ripping through their camp. The bed was soft, luxury even, stolen from the home of a rich man who had built too far from the kingdoms. It was her prison, and it had been for the nearly six months since Silas had been murdered.

 _Don't leave the bed,_ he had growled, leering at her as he grabbed his spear and left the tent. _I'm not done with you yet for today._

The twelve-year-old didn't have the energy to talk, or even to cry. He had ordered her to shut up when he started with her, and his obedience command had come after she struggled for a moment. An exhaustion pervaded her body, and her head hurt. She was hungry - it had been five days since she had last seen Raven, and there was always the uncertainty that her mother might never come back again.

No, she would lay on the bed and wait. There was no alternative, no other option, only the green.

 _Neo, they're overwhelming us! Get up and fight!_

Her eyes squeezed shut as she was dragged to her feet, her side and pelvis burning out the rest of her dull aches. Grabbing her dagger, she flew out of the tent in her tattered dress, holding her dagger in trembling hands. A circle of men stood in the middle of the camp, and one noticed her and jumped out of the way as she came barreling through.

Three knelt in the dirt, his spear kicked to the side as another man stood tall over him. The man wore tight purple legionate armor, his hair shaved back into a tidy crewcut. He laughed as Neo stumbled into the center of the circle, knocking aside her pitiful attempt to attack him. "And here she is! Look at him, the fucking little child molester. Too busy raping his own slave to defend his camp! Is this the man you want to follow? Luckily for you, all of you have just become prisoners of my tribe, and if you act like the obedient little shits you all are, maybe I'll let you stick around."

"She's _mine_ , Augustine," Three spat, and Augustine spun a roundhouse kick into his head and sent him flying into the dirt.

"No. You are nothing in the world but a groveling worm cowering in the dirt. Be grateful that I have the mercy to end your life quickly."

Neo curled up into a ball and blocked her vision, but none of that stopped the excruciating pain that rocked her body as Augustine drew his morning star and plunged the spiked tip through Three's skull.

 _And Augustine's life was horrible, and she knew everything about him. Everything._

She gasped as he lifted her chin up with two fingers. _Oh, Neo, don't you worry. I would never treat you like that scum did. Everything is going to be just… fine._

It wasn't until she looked up into his predatory smile that she realized she was screaming.

* * *

"I still wonder what the police tape around the CCT was, though," Weiss said as she, Yang, and Blake walked up to the dorm room. Opening the door, she stepped inside and collapsed onto her bed, kicking her heels across the room. "I'm exhausted."

Yang lingered in the doorway, watching her partner and her girlfriend as they relaxed and started changing into pajamas. Blake had found her and Weiss on the second level after a while, and they had spent the rest of the dance talking and making Weiss feel better. "Is everybody okay?"

"Yes, I think I'm going to be okay," Weiss said with a wry smile, slipping her nightgown over her head and flopping back onto her sheets. "Thank you, Yang."

"I'm going to go get us water, I'll be back," she said. Closing the door behind her, she walked by a sleepy Jaune and Pyrrha and into the kitchen. She froze halfway to the glasses as she heard a noise behind her. _Is that… crying?_

Yang turned around, then froze. Ruby and Violet were curled up against each other on the couch, both desperately sobbing into the other's arms. The scene felt disturbingly intimate as if she was interrupting something other people weren't supposed to see. Torn between comforting her sister and her discomfort at the way her forehead was pressed against Violet's and the red aura glowing around her body, she turned and ran back to the dorm room.

Blake sat straight up in her bed as she burst in. "What's wrong?"

"Ruby and Violet are crying on the couch in the common room, and I don't know why," Yang said, turning to run back out of the room.

"Shit," Blake muttered, then called, "Yang, wait!"

"What do you mean, wait? My sister is crying out there!"

She sighed, getting to her feet and walking up to Yang. "I think I need to be the one to talk to her."

Yang stared at her until Weiss quietly spoke up. "Your secret… It has something to do with Violet, doesn't it?" The look on Blake's face must have betrayed what she was thinking because Weiss sighed. "I thought so. After she left, Ruby withdrew and I suspected it might have something to do with that, but watching them at the dance… Cousins don't dance together like that."

"Wait, Violet isn't actually Ruby's cousin?" Yang asked. "You mean I've been jealous of her since the semester started for no reason?"

"Shh!" Blake hissed, hesitating then nodding slightly. "Please, just… you can't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"Huh. Y'know, that actually explains a lot." Yang stepped to the side and let Blake run out into the hallway. Sliding into the kitchen, she ran to Ruby's side and shook the two girls awake. "Ruby, Neo, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Blake?" Ruby mumbled. "What's happening?"

"You were crying in your sleep," Blake said as she pulled Ruby to her feet. "Come on, I don't know what's wrong but you'll feel better if you sleep in your own bed."

"Neo," her teammate mumbled, her red dress rumpled around her knees.

She sighed and offered Neo her other hand. "Neo, do you want to sleep with Ruby in our room tonight?"

Neo's disguise flickered wildly as she nodded, staggering to her feet and clinging to Ruby's arm.

Yang and Weiss were waiting as Blake led the two girls into the room. There were no words that needed to be exchanged – the rest of Team WBYR buried Ruby and Neo in a group hug and let them cry until they were ready to go to sleep.

In that moment, it didn't matter what was wrong, or who knew the secret and who didn't. All that mattered was that they were together, and nobody had any intention of letting go.

Uncertainly, a hollow moon span in the balance.

* * *

 _Cinder was at Beacon. Oz let her slip under his grip, and I won't make the same mistake._

Ironwood stood alone on his bridge, stoically watching as the grand Vytal Coliseum drifted into Vale airspace, towering over the peaceful city below.

 _I will not fail these people, Ozpin. I will not let Salem win, and we will not fall. I will protect those that he has failed. No harm will come to the people of Vale under my watch._

 _This, I swear._

* * *

The phone rang once, then twice, then hung dead in the warm night air.

"I told you Kali, she probably changed her scroll number. It's been years after all." Ghira paced back and forth across his study as Kali dropped her scroll and leaned back in his chair.

"I know, honey. Should we try the CCT?" she asked, not willing to give up. "The articles say she's a student at Beacon, so we could reach her there."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt."

This time, the line didn't ring and went straight to an automated message. "Hello, you've reached the Vale CCT. We're currently offline, leave a message."

Ghira and Kali exchanged a hopeful smile at the beep, and Kali leaned in towards the mic. "Hi, we'd like to speak to out daughter, Blake Belladonna, who's a student at Beacon Academy. If she asks, could you tell her that we've been invited to come to Vale to speak at the protest being planned for during the Vytal Festival? Thank you."

She hung up, and Ghira smiled at her. "We're finally going to see our little Blake again."

"Yeah." Kali smiled warmly at the family picture in the center of the desk. "I can't wait."

 **End of Volume Two**

* * *

Date Completed: 1/27/18

Chapters: 10

Word Count: 59k+

Reviews: 113

Follows: 324

Favorites: 227

Views: 27,689

Communities: 3

* * *

 **re:Bound Volume Two Soundtrack**

HEARTHFIRE: Throne to the Wolves – Our Hollow, Our Home (Heartsick)

CHECKMATE: Time to Say Goodbye – Casey Lee Williams (RWBY Vol. 2 Soundtrack)

BEAUTY AND THE BURDEN: Watching as I Fall – Mike Shinoda (Post Traumatic)

PERFECTLY FINE: I Don't Know Why – Imagine Dragons (Evolve)

WHIPLASH: Sleepwalking – Bring Me The Horizon (Sempiternal)

INNOCENT: With You – Linkin Park (Hybrid Theory)

HOLLOW: Don't Go – Bring Me The Horizon (There Is A Hell…)

AFTERSHOCKS: Waking Up – Dangerkids (Collapse)

NEBULA: All Alright - .fun (Some Nights)

RADIANCE: Mirror Mirror Part II – Casey Lee Williams (RWBY Vol. 3 Soundtrack)

ENDING: Shine – Casey Lee Williams (RWBY Vol. 2 Soundtrack)

STREAM THE SOUNDTRACK ON MY YT CHANEL – Link on my profile

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ONE MORE GIFT – Check out my concept sketches for Rising Thorn on my Tumblr!

Find me at AllisonIlluminated or check out the link on my profile!

* * *

 **[A/N] And so, volume two finally comes to a close.**

 **I cried a lot, writing these last couple of chapters. Volume One was the product of a plot bunny and some crazy inspiration, and I absolutely love it, but there's something about this volume that really speaks to me. It's an exploration of isolation, loss, and freedom that broke ground for me as a writer. Writing an entire novel length work in three months would have been incomprehensible to me a year ago, and I'm deeply grateful to everyone for helping me get it done and for supporting me on this journey.**

 **So thank you everybody for the growth and support on this story in the past three months! Who's excited to finally get to Volume Three next Saturday?! I know I am, and I can't wait to see you guys then :)**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 2/3/18**


	21. V3 - Ambush

Volume Three, Chapter One: Ambush

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 2/3/18

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, and I am not affiliated with Rooster Teeth in any way.**

* * *

 **Trigger Warnings: This work will contain imagery of violence, major character death, bullying, discrimination, abuse, racism, and depression alongside non-graphic mentions of rape, underage sex, and sexual abuse.**

* * *

There is no reflection in the dark.

Rearrange the pieces – this is a new game. The chessboard is falling, a dust shop window shattered in the dark, black and white illusions melting into the sky. Run and catch the jagged edge, or don't; the blood has already soaked into the depths and twisted humanity's vision too far to ever truly see. Funny how the world seems to melt away, so focused on the receding sky that they never notice the twisting depths below. And when they hit bottom, jolted rudely awake-

In these shadows, aura is the only light of Fall.

* * *

Darkness was slow to the open clearing. Dusk had long since fallen, tendrils of spring mist curling around clover leaves in an ephemeral gesture of protection. No, it would do no good, nothing to stop festering claws from crushing the budding plants underfoot as the Grimm pushed through the tangled brambles and into the meadow.

The Beowulves halted as the alpha paused mid-stride, its mask rising to face the full moon in confusion. A single crimson petal drifted down to earth, wafting along with the warm breeze before dissipating against the grass underfoot. The Alpha narrowed its beady red eyes, turning back to the path ahead. Flinching, a surprised growl was the last sound to escape its throat as a cloud of petals shot towards the pack.

Ruby yelled as she kicked off of the old oak from which she had silently been watching the pack, spiraling into a cloud of rose petals. Using her semblance, the cloud split into thirds, swirling tighter and tighter around the Alpha's hulking frame. Before the Grimm could react, she had carried it into the sky, reforming and drawing Rising Thorn. Her silver eyes glowed in the moonlight, tattered red fabric billowing out into the sky.

Metal met black ichor, and a single gunshot sent them hurtling towards the ground.

Smoke blew away from the huntress-in-training, her hood falling away from her head to reveal her raven black hair. Rising to her feet, she pulled her naginata out of the grassy dirt and spun into a ready position. Stunned, the pack of Beowulves stared at her before snapping out of their stupor and charging her.

 _Neo?_

 _I'm on my way._

The corner of her mouth tilted upwards into a self-assured smirk, then Ruby sprung into action.

Hands flying apart, she yanked both triggers at once. Aura exploded into red rage as she catapulted into the leading Grimm's mask and cut a deadly dust-fueled swathe through the pack. The mass recoiled in momentary panic and tried to regroup, but there was no leader to guide them and no master to save them now.

Rising Thorn collapsed in on itself as Ruby spun the blade around to rest on her shoulder just as the dusteel covering slid over. The collapsible barrel slid outwards as the scope popped up, the hilt's thin plates sliding together to form the receiver. She took a deep breath, tensing as the front sight clicked into place. Reaching up, she cocked the extended magazine.

There was no need for her sights. The enemy was in every direction, and she was shooting to kill.

Semblance powered, her finger jammed against the trigger. The clearing burst into explosive gunfire as lines of Grimm were mowed down with unearthly shrieks of pain. One clip, then two, reloading faster than her eyes could register, the monsters faded into nothingness. Smoke and mist twisted together, settling into a tranquil miasma that skimmed the forest floor.

Deep breath in. Shuddering sigh out.

The tremors had been faint while the small fry had surrounded her, and now she looked up at one of the biggest Ursa she had ever seen. Stark spikes jutted through its crusty fur, a faint trail of hellish anger leaking from the corner of its mouth. Rearing back on its hind legs, the Grimm roared, sending Ruby's cloak wavering behind her as she took careful aim.

Gunfire collided uselessly with the Ursa's matted fur. Ruby paced back, letting Rising Thorn fall to her side and extend back into her naginata as it matched her steps. Breath for breath, wary against the stars, she pushed against the rancid stench and-

The Ursa burst towards her, lunging out with a reckless swipe. Ruby burst to one side, backflipping under a log as the beast tore through the trees around them. Firing a gauntlet blast to her side, she used her momentum to pull into a tight spiral, vaulting over it with the butt of her shaft and raking her blade down its other flank.

Screeching, the Grimm rolled toward her. Her semblance let her dive away from the jagged shards of bone only to be knocked to the ground by its muscular hindleg. She bounced against the dewy grass, her aura flickering around her as her shoulder jammed painfully against a rock. Scraping her hand against the dirt, she slid into a three-point landing. Gathering her aura around her, she met the Ursa's charge with a head-on lunge, twisting past its reckless swipe and sinking her blade into its shoulder. Reversing her trajectory against its collarbone, she activated her fire dust and yanked her weapon away with a chunk of black flesh.

Incensed, it charged her with depredatory furor, its wound painting the ground below black with blood. Darting in and out of its claws, she tore at its chest to little avail. The Ursa slowly pushed her onto the defensive, circling inwards with a single-minded focus on its prey. Turning too late to dodge a blow, Ruby brought Rising Thorn up in a two-hand grip to block the downwards crush of its forelegs. The overwhelming strength of the Grimm weighed down on her – she only had a moment to act.

She blinked, and red flecks of aura speckled her silver eyes.

 _This ends now._

Slamming down on where Ruby had been, the beast shrieked in pain as her blade sunk into its neck. She lost her grip on her weapon as the Ursa thrashed about, going to the ground before the Grimm. Her smirk never left her face as it rose to its full height, her weapon slowly letting its lifeforce leak from its neck.

Bringing her hands down to her sides, she cocked her gauntlets and shot into motion.

Disoriented and in pain, the Ursa couldn't keep pace with her as she circled around it, faster and faster, pushing her semblance to its max. Finally, she found her chance and fell in on the beast. Explosive punches ripped into the Ursa's side, and it collapsed as Ruby flipped onto its bony fur. Ripping Rising Thorn out of its neck, she pinned down the head and sent her blade through the Ursa's eye.

Neo leaned against a tree as she sank into a cloud of black mist, crossing her arms. _What happened to you needing my help?_

 _Who ever said I needed your help?_ Stooping down, she picked up her weapon, transformed it, and slipped the rifle back under her cloak. _Maybe I just wanted to show off Rising Thorn._

 _Oh, will you ever shut up about your weapon?_ Laughing, she pushed off of the tree and walked up to Ruby, reaching out and wiping a stray bit of dirt from her forehead. _We've sparred every day in the last three months since you've gotten her, and you're still not over how cool it is._

 _But it is!_ Ruby protested, earning herself a flick from Neo.

 _Only you, Rose._ _C'mon, our watch is over, let's head back to camp._

She nodded, giving the clearing one last wary glance. _There were so many of them… and so close to Vale, too._

 _Don't dwell on it._ Neo slipped her hand in Ruby's and pulled her away. _If we worry about it too much, it'll only attract more Grimm,_ _and that's the last thing we need right now._

* * *

The campfire blazed, sparks drifting into the warm April air. Weiss nodded to Yang as she deposited a pile of logs by the fire. "Thank you, that should be enough to last the night."

Yang sat down next to Blake and shrugged. "No big deal. You'd probably get crushed under all the weight anyway, and I'd never make Blake do it."

"Hey! I'll have you know I could carry heavy stuff if I wanted to!" she said indignantly as her teammate burst out laughing. Blake leaned against her shoulder, and Weiss smiled at the couple as she tossed one of the logs onto the fire.

"You'd never make me do it, huh?" Blake said as Yang pulled her sleeping bag closer.

"'Course not, Kitty Cat."

"Y'know, I still don't get why she gets to call you that and I don't."

Dane's muscle top showed off his leopard fur as he collapsed lazily onto his own sleeping back. Yang rolled her eyes at him, kicking him lightly with her foot. "That's because you're an asshole, Dane, and I'm her girlfriend."

The faunus laughed, crossing his arms behind his head. "Guilty as charged, Blondie. If I didn't know better, I'd think we were paired up on this mission just for your lovely team to bask in my wit."

Weiss snorted, eliciting a laugh from Blake. "Oh, get over yourself. You know we're happy to be paired up with Team BLVE, especially considering how many Grimm are around."

It had been three months since the dance, and WBYR and BLVE had been assigned to a joint first combat mission to investigate a hotspot of Grimm activity near Vale. It was only April, but the semester felt like it had flashed by to Weiss. Training, slowly coaxing Ruby out of her shell, watching Jaune and Pyrrha as well as Blake and Yang getting closer…

She glanced over to Emmy and Merc, who were quietly talking apart from the campfire. "What's up with them anyway?"

Dane leaned in towards the fire, and WBY followed his lead. "Don't let them know I told you this, but Emmy and Merc are kinda… antisocial. Like, really really awkward."

"Ri-ight, so you've decided to grace us with your presence," Blake quipped, Yang nudging her slightly.

"What can I say, you guys are interesting." Dane flashed them his teeth, which were a little too pointy for Weiss' liking. "'sides, that's why we're in Vale in the first place, right? Inter-team bonding?"

"Something like that, yeah." Weiss leaned back and picked up her scroll as it buzzed. "Ruby and Violet are on their way back."

"Are you guys excited for the Vytal Festival?" Dane asked as she leaned back and traced the constellations with her finger.

Yang and Blake exchanged a glance, and Blake's left ear twitched as she leaned further into Yang's embrace. "Actually, we're not going to be fighting in the tournament."

Dane blinked, a mask of stunned shock coming across his face. "What?"

"Oh, come on, you're a faunus." Blake's expression darkened. "You must know about the protests and the riots. You've seen all of the coverage on the killings. There's no way you don't know about the march."

"Well, yeah, but I didn't think you would be attending the March for Faunus Rights over participating in the most prestigious combat tournament on Remnant," he said, a bit flustered.

Her eyes narrowed at Dane, and Weiss shot Blake a glance. "Calm down, we're on a mission and we don't want to attract Grimm. Dane, we're not just attending this protest. Blake's parents are speaking there, and we've been assigned to help some professional huntsmen secure the event on her request. Practically all of Vale will either be at the tournament or the protest, so we volunteered."

Dane quirked an eyebrow, and Blake glared at him. "Don't you care about this at all? We both knew Tukson, how can you not want to attend this march?"

"I've seen plenty of racism in my life," he growled, his fur rippling as he flexed his arm. "And I am doing _my_ part fighting against it. I'm not blind. Things are changing in Vale for us, and this protest will bring that to a head."

"I don't get it, Cat Boy." Dane hissed at Yang as she stared at him coolly. "If you care so much about this protest, why aren't you going?"

"Yang. Blake. Dane. If you don't _chill out_ , we will be fighting Beowulves for the rest of the night," Weiss snapped, shutting them up for a moment.

Dane took a deep breath, shooting a glace at Emmy and Merc behind him. "I've been driven out of the huntsmen academies once. I won't give up this opportunity, and I intend to fight in this tournament, one way or another."

 _Driven out?_ Weiss didn't get a chance to ask him what he had meant by that before Ruby shot into the clearing and tossed herself onto her sleeping bag. "We're back!"

"We noticed!" Merc called as Emmy punched him lightly in the arm.

Weiss stared at her partner – how could she possibly be okay getting dirt on her bedroll like that? "Ruby, you're filthy."

Her partner pulled herself into a sitting position as she grumbled, "Well, I was fine until the fucking Ursa showed up."

Weiss poked her as Violet slipped out from the trees and sat beside Ruby. "Language. I'm not sure if Dane can handle it."

Ruby stuck her tongue out, before glancing at Violet for long enough to make everyone else uncomfortable. Weiss, used to their weirdness, poked her again. Ruby snapped away from her cousin and frowned. "There were even more tonight then there were this morning. I took down three packs of Beowulves, a couple of Boarbatusks, and an Ursa Major, and N- Violet ran into a lot of Grimm too."

"It feels so wrong." Blake shook her head, Yang squeezing her shoulder for comfort. "We're barely five miles from Vale's wall. There shouldn't be any Grimm her, let alone in this concentration. Something's happening out here – I just wish we knew what."

Violet tossed Ruby her scroll, and Ruby looked down and said, "Violet says that it's not worth worrying over, but the sooner Emmy, Merc, and Dane start their watch, the better."

"We just need to wait for- and never mind! Here's the egomaniac himself."

"Students! Sitting around the merry campfire after a hearty fight, how quaint!" Professor Port bellowed as he strode out of the woods. Ruby pulled a face and turned to Violet again, the two losing themselves in their own world again. _Seriously, could they be any more obvious about it? It's almost like they're asking for the rest of BLVE to find out._

Getting to her feet and setting aside her endless question about the thinly veiled secret, Weiss nodded to the professor. "Professor Port, if you're back, we're ready to switch the watch and go to bed."

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, his mustache twitching excitedly. "The Grimm are certainly excitable tonight, so do be careful. I assume you've done an exemplary job keeping the camp in order, Ms. Schnee?"

"Of course, sir," Weiss said, a hint of pride creeping into her voice. She would never forget Port's advice that night he had found her crying in the library, and was glad the professor thought she had improved.

"We'll start out watch right away," Mercury said as he and Emmy rose to their feet. "You can count on us. Dane, come."

"Fuck you too, _Merc_!" Dane snapped back, before jumping as Weiss poked his fur. "What was that, Ice Queen?"

"Well, _that_ was for cursing. I'm not about to only scold Ruby for that, you know. And this-" Weiss kicked his ankle with her heel. "-is for calling me Ice Queen."

Dane smirked at her as he got to his feet. "Would you prefer if I called you Snow Angel?"

"Why-" He laughed as he ran into the woods after his teammates, leaving Weiss standing watching him go with clenched fists. "Come back here, you insolent brat!"

"Oh Weiss?"

"What?!"

Yang grinned at her. "If you don't _cool down_ , you might attract the Grimm, and we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

Weiss gawked at her, before sitting back down on her sleeping bag in a huff. "I don't even know why I bother with the lot of you. This is a _combat mission_ , we are in a Grimm infested forest, and-"

"Breathe, Weiss." Blake let go of Yang, and she walked to her side and sat down next to her. "You're doing a great job leading us, so it's okay if you relax a bit."

She met her best friend's eyes, taking a deep breath and smoothing out her combat skirt. "Thank you, Yang."

"Anytime."

Professor Port cleared his throat. "Well then, unless you'd like me to regale you with my dashing tales of-"

"Thanks, but no thanks Professor," Blake said as Yang sat back at her side. "You might scare us so much that the Grimm would come."

"Why, but of course! The creatures of Grimm are-" His speech was interrupted as Yang burst out laughing. "You jest, of course. In that case, I, Professor Port-"

"We know who you are, Professor," Ruby said, causing her entire team to stare at her.

Port blinked, scratching his mustache in brief confusion. "Oh. Right. I, um- Away to the tent!"

Yang shook her head as he squeezed through the tent flap. "So, Rubes, what's the occasion?"

"Did you say you fought an Ursa Major?" Weiss asked over her teammate, and Ruby nodded. "Alone?"

Violet nodded with an exasperated sigh as Ruby laughed nervously. "Um, yeah. Ne- Violet was going to help me but she didn't get there fast enough."

A scroll flew at Weiss, and she caught it and read the written text aloud. "'She killed an eight foot tall Ursa in less than two minutes by punching it in the side and stabbing it in the eye.' Y'know, Ruby, sometimes I wonder if you even need the rest of us."

"Violet's a good teacher," Ruby said, flushing as she pressed her hand to the scar on her side – the same place she had come in with the massive wound the morning she had snapped. Weiss had made a point of not asking Ruby about that day since she had learned of the secret's existence, but it was hard to stop herself sometimes. "Besides, having a team is nice."

"This is just our first mission, too," Blake offered. "This is what the next two years of our life is going to be like."

"Yeah, Team WBYR is sticking together!" Yang cheered, earning a genuine smile from Weiss.

"Don't worry, Ruby. None of us are going anywhere."

* * *

"I just don't get it! How can those stupid kids be so _happy_ all the time?!"

Mercury jumped back as Emerald took an angry swipe at a nearby bush with her weapon. "Woah, chill out, we're done with them. Just forget about it, okay?"

"I don't mind them," Dane said with a nonchalant shrug, earning himself a glare from Emerald.

"And you!" she exclaimed, narrowing her red eyes. "You were supposed to tell us _all_ of your orders. Did Adam tell you to spy on them, huh?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that some people talk because they, oh, I don't know, _actually enjoy_ other people's company?" he snarked back.

The moon was hidden beyond the foliage as Mercury followed the map on his scroll to the agreed rendezvous spot. "Can you shut up and let me navigate in peace?" he called back to them, but they were too deep in their argument to notice.

"You can't seriously like them, can you?"

"They're nice kids with their heart in the right place," he said. "It's a pity they're in our way, I think I'd have them stick around otherwise. Unlike you, I have the capacity to form real friendships, so how about you go bitch at Mercury instead of bothering me?"

Emerald's hand shot to the hilt of her other sickle. "Listen, mutt-"

"Leopard, actually," Dane said blandly, keeping his voice even from years of practice. "Kinda hard to mistake it, I do have spots after all. Now, I'm not sure how your mom fucked a gemstone, but I'm sure we could repeat the process with you-"

"Alright, _I_ have an idea," Mercury growled as he turned to face his bickering teammates. "How about you listen to your leader and shut the fuck up for five minutes so we don't get lost in this forest?"

"Yes, si-"

Dane flew backward into a tree as Mercury kicked him in the face. "I told you, shut up!"

He groaned as he picked himself up off the ground, growling as Emerald stuck her tongue out at him. Falling into a single file line, they picked their way through the underbrush, killing small Grimm along the way with contemptuous ease. Finally, they made it to the location, a small secluded depression where two men were waiting.

Dane ran forwards and fell to his knee before Adam, fully aware of Mercury and Emerald staring daggers into his back. "Adam, sir."

"So this is the… Dane I understand to be so essential to our plans." Dane rose as his commander gave him the gesture, and turned with deep foreboding to the cloaked man beside him. His deep raspy voice sent shivers down Dane's spine, and he did his best not to let it show. "I was expecting more, although given his commander I'm not entirely surprised."

Dane bit back a retort as Adam stepped forwards. "I am the high commander of Vale's faunus! You will show me more respect than that!"

"I will respect who I please," the man snarled. "I am a far more powerful faunus than you could ever hope to be. You hardly cling to your control of one-fifth of an unstable insurgent group!"

Adam and Dane both winced as Emerald scoffed and stepped forwards. "Harkan. Where is Cinder?"

"I must admit, Mercury, I wasn't entirely sure you knew how to read a map, but I suppose you showed me wrong."

Every head in the clearing turned as Cinder Fall strode into the clearing. A thin trail of fire streamed from her eyes, and her tight red dress left Dane furiously staring at a nearby tree. He was, far and away, the least important person in this clearing and he knew it.

"Cinder!" Emerald exclaimed, starting forwards to hug her.

The Fall Maiden stopped her with a gesture, meeting Harkan's gaze. "Are you prepared?"

"Our… surprise is waiting at my command. The Rose intercepted some of my Beowulf, but not all of them. I can smell them," he snarled, his tone shifting as an inhuman hunger flickered through his eyes. "It would be so easy… Let me slaughter the students. Their blood is waiting to be spilled."

"Our goal is not to kill them, yet," Cinder snapped. Dane didn't miss the faint flicker of revulsion that disappeared into flames a moment later. _Huh, so Fire Bitch is human. Shocker._

"And what exactly is our goal here?" Adam hissed.

A hacking laugh rolled through the clearing, Harkan's impossible white face pitched to the sky. "Fear. They will fear the power amassing at their gates. They will fear that a team of nine hunters on an easy mission is sent home early. Most importantly, Ozpin will learn to fear me once more, and then I will _feed_."

Cinder nodded. "I came to collect Mercury and Emerald. You will not reveal yourself until their airlift has arrived. Dane will return to the students, and I believe you have business in Vale Adam?"

Adam nodded and looked to him. "Do not fail your brothers and sisters in the White Fang."

Dane nodded, then two fingers rested under his chin and tilted his head upwards. Cinder Fall smoldered – there was no other way he could think to describe her. "Ever since the plans have changed, we have put a great deal of faith in you, Dane Lilac. You would do well to remember that."

"I was promised revenge," he growled back, unwilling to budge as the hot fingertips below his chin slowly began to burn his skin.

"And you'll get it," Cinder said, dropping her fingers and turning away. "Launch the assault. I expect you'll have three minutes to make it back to the camp before their help arrives. As far as you know, Mercury and Emerald were separated from you by an overwhelmingly powerful Grimm and slaughtered, their bodies desecrated beyond retrieval."

"Understo-"

Dane jumped back and reached for his weapon as a Beowulf slunk out from the underbrush. Surprisingly, it made no move to attack – it wasn't until it walked up to Harkan that he understood.

Turning on his heel, he set off in a dead sprint back from the way he had come.

A lone howl rang split the sky, and the forest began to shake.

* * *

 _She's so beautiful._

Blake sat by the fading firelight, watching Yang as she peacefully slept. Stress made her insomnia worse, and on a mission, she had plenty of it. Her girlfriend's long blonde hair drifted across her sleeping bag even as she brushed it out of her face. She sighed in contemplative admiration, reflecting on the whirlwind of the last three months of her life.

Being with Yang was everything she could have hoped for, but at the same time, it felt no different than the time she had known her partner before they had gotten together. Yang, as it turned out, knew _everything_ about Vale, and they had gone on a whirlwind tour of all the best restaurants and nightclubs in the city. Even as she had watched the video of the soldiers assaulting her go viral, her time with Yang had been the best of her life so far. She couldn't remember being so happy with, well, everything since the last time she had been to Menagerie.

 _God, my parents are arriving this week. Are they going to like Yang? Should we take them to meet Tai? Tai likes me, that's a good sign, right?_

Ironic, how nothing in her struggle for faunus rights worked until she _stopped_ fighting for it. One moment they had nothing, and now the mess that had started with Tukson's shooting had spiraled into a full out movement. It hadn't really struck Blake how momentous the march was going to be until March, when her father had told her the true reason for their visit – he had been invited to give a speech as the former leader of the White Fang.

 _I was looking forward to the tournament, but this is more important._ _We're going to be protecting tens of thousands of faunus, and we have to be ready._

But for now…

Blake shuffled her sleeping bag closer to Yang's; she wasn't anywhere close to sleepy, but she craved the physical contact and her partner's warmth. The forest seemed to growl around her, restless under the starry- _No, I think the forest is actually growling._

"Wake up!" Blake screamed, jumping to her feet and ripping Gambol Shroud out of its sheath. A huge Grimm burst out of the woods headed straight for the campfire. Letting her instincts take control, Blake launched herself at the beast, then made a shadow clone at the last second possible. It roared as its paw was covered with thick eyes, skidding to stop just short of the sleeping bag as she rose to her feet.

Yang screamed as she woke up to find a black paw inches from her head, exploding out of bed as Ruby and Neo made a dash for their weapons. Weiss was already standing with Myrtenaster cocked and ready, staring at the monster in horror. "What is that thing?"

"That, huntresses, is a Beringel. Get away from it and call for help! If a Grimm of that size and rarity is here, then something is deeply wrong here!" Port drew his ax as Weiss, Yang, and Blake all sprinted behind the veteran hunter, Yang fumbling with her scroll as Weiss aimed her rapier at the Grimm. "Miss Rose! Get back here!"

"Ruby, what are you doing?" Yang yelled as Ruby and Neo flew at the Beringel with their respective blades. Turning faster than should have been possible for a creature of its size, the Grimm swatted through where they had been. Ruby's triple cloud of rose petals reformed as Neo's sword sunk into the Beringel's neck and Ruby's naginata cut and lodged in its shoulder, right as it rolled backward, nearly crushing her underneath.

"We can fight this!" Ruby yelled as Neo collided with a tree, sinking to the ground before slowly getting to her feet.

Weiss' response was drowned out by a chorus of Beowulf howls. Dane burst into the clearing with wild eyes, his weapon clutched in his grip. "There's a horde coming, we have to go!"

"They can have an airship here in three minutes," Yang said as the first of the Beowulves burst from the trees. "Ruby, we need your cover fire! Get over here!"

Ruby was far more occupied with keeping the Beringel away from Neo, desperately fending off its blunt swings as the dazed girl behind her rose. Just as she was about to stumble over her, a fireball crashed into the beast and bowled it over three smaller Grimm, which were dropping like flies under the combined fire from her three teammates and Dane.

Professor Port stooped down and helped Neo up, then turned to Ruby. All traces of grandiose had disappeared from his face. "Miss Rose. When I tell you to run, you _run_!"

Gulping, Ruby grabbed Neo and sprinted to her teammate's side. "Weiss, get ammo ready!" Transforming Rising Thorn, she took aim at the approaching swarm of Grimm and pulled the trigger.

"Ruby, you're an idiot! Sometimes you actually need to follow orders!" Weiss yelled, holding out three extra clips as Ruby started mowing down Grimm and reloading at superhuman speeds.

Yang had her scroll pressed to her ear again as Blake shot the Beowulves that had tried to circle around their back. "Are you okay?" she asked urgently.

Letting her scroll drop, Yang nodded. "We have to move! They can't land an airship here, we have to go to the nearest clearing! Follow me! Professor!"

"Go ahead! I've got this under control!" Port shouted back, rolling under a wild swipe and launching another fireball into the Grimm's chest.

"I'll find the best spot!" Ruby yelled and vanished in a cloud of petals, leaving an entire flank uncovered.

"Ruby, you can't just leave, you have to cover for us!" Weiss screeched as she and Dane went back to back to stop the Grimm from reaching Neo, who was still dazed in the center of their tight circle. "Where are Emerald and Mercury?"

Dane's back went rigid. "We got split up. When I found them, their bodies were barely recognizable. They died. My teammates are dead."

Weiss' head spun, and Blake and Yang both gasped in horror as the implications of his statements. Ruby reappeared in the circle and picked up Neo. "Follow me!"

Professor Port broke off from engaging the Beringel and sprinted after them as Ruby ran through the forest towards an open clearing. It smashed through trees after them, bellowing as smaller Grimm raced past it and nipped at their heels.

A floodlight shone down on the clearing, and Ruby shot into the aircraft with Neo as it landed and the doors opened. The rest of her team and Dane came racing in after her, and Port came stumbling in the rear.

"Where did the Grimm go?" Yang called as the engines started to pick up again.

"No, who's that?" Weiss asked, watching as a black cloaked man stepped from the edge of the forest into the clearing.

Ruby screamed as his cloak fell away, revealing a stark white face and a massive broadsword that the man slowly drew as they lifted off the ground. "He's here! We have to move! We have to get out of here!"

"He?"

"Harkan! He's the one that attacked me in Forever Fall!"

"What?! Go faster!"

The transport kicked up to max speed as Harkan lifted his sword up and plunged it into the ground. The earth seemed to seize beneath him before exploding outwards into an expanding sphere of eerie blue light. Blake's eyes widened – the energy was moving faster than them. "Weiss, can your glyphs move us faster?"

Weiss nodded, thrusting the tip of her rapier into the metal floor and creating a massive gravity glyph holding all seven of them in place. Pointing back to the expanding sphere of blue, she ricocheted the aircraft faster and faster as the energy picked up speed. The wings rattled dangerously as the hull groaned under the increased pressure. "What is that?"

"I don't know, but it's bad!" Ruby yelled back as Weiss slumped. "Can you keep going?"

"No, I only have enough left to hold the gravity glyph! This will have to be enough."

The blue gained on them, starting to peter out yet gaining speed. Finally, it faded away, the tail of the bullhead barely clearing the energy's final reach. Weiss collapsed to the floor in exhaustion, and everyone cried out in alarm as they were thrown against the back wall of the passenger compartment, the open door sliding shut with a hiss.

Yang and Port ran to Weiss' side as the plane leveled out and began slowing to a reasonable speed. "Miss Schnee, are you okay?" he asked, tapping her shoulder.

Her eyes blinked open groggily, and she slurred, "I'm okay, talk to Dane."

Yang stayed by her leader's side as everybody else in the plane turned to Dane. "Mr. Lilac. What happened on your watch, and where are Ms. Silver and Mr. Blaise?"

A deeply disturbed and haunted look was plastered across his face as he murmured, "We were separated. I found their bodies. They're dead."

"Dead?" Ruby whispered before her eyes widened. "Harkan- His semblance, he has the power to destroy electronics. What if that blast-"

"EMP, electromagnetic pulse. He was trying to blow out aircraft out of the sky." Professor Port closed his eyes and bowed his head. "We are all lucky to be alive right now, children. Let us not forget that, not when that- that thing has just claimed two young hunters."

"We- we're just going to leave their bodies out there for the Grimm?" Blake asked, sending a ripple through the muted shock that hung over the room.

"There was nothing left to salvage," Dane muttered. "They're just… gone. My team. Gone. Left me here alone."

Ruby let out a strangled half sob and hugged Violet, who was staring blankly at the wall before her. Blake watched her, the horrified feeling in her gut twisting as she knew the true implications of the gesture. Running across the interior, she threw her arms around the bonded girls and whispered, "It's okay, you're still here, he didn't get you."

"No, it's not! It's not okay! Emmy and Merc are d-dead!" Ruby whispered. "He was here. He was here for us."

* * *

Cinder found Harkan watching the sky with a malicious smirk. "The plan?"

"Went off without a hitch."

"And they are alive?"

Harkan nodded. "Tell your master she did well. You are an adequate pawn for her plans."

Biting back a shriek of rage, she bowed stiffly. "We will be ready when the day comes."

"Oh, of that I have no doubt. I… Well, I have been ready for this for a _very_ long time. Do not disappoint me, Miss Fall. I think you'll find I don't take it kindly, and you..." Harkan grinned eerily at her. "I've never tasted a maiden's powers before, have I?"

A crow took flight and spiraled away from the branches of a nearby tree, but all Cinder could hear was Harkan's hollow laughter, shaking her to her core.

* * *

 **[A/N] Welcome to Volume Three! This is the darkest volume of the show, and, well, you've read the last two volume of this fic, and this is going to be a tad darker.**

 **As it's the start of the volume, I want to make this volume even better than the past two. Because of that, you should take a moment to write out any CONCRIT you have for my writing, my style, or this story in general. I know I'm not perfect, and your feedback is the best way to improve new chapters! Please help me make this story a better reading experience for you and everyone else! :)**

 **Here's the question – What's one specific thing I could improve on in re:Bound?**

 **To any and all of you who take the time to answer, I'm deeply grateful.**

 **Other than that, thank you for the amazing reception on the finale last week, and I can't wait to keep moving forward with you guys! (also, remember that I have a tumblr with writing advice and a bit of fanart – link on my profile)**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **[Edit 2/11/18] Grammar**

 **Estimated Update Day: 2/10/17**


	22. V3 - Strength of Void

Volume Three, Chapter Two: Strength of Void

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 2/10/18

* * *

 _No, I'm not going to calm down!_

Ruby released her controls on her aura even further. She was red, explosive – Rising Thorn bit through the cool air of the training room only to collide with another dusteel blade with a resounding clash.

Neo's pink eyes burned as she leaned in on their locked blade. _And I told you, there was_ nothing _we could do! If you deplete your aura right now I'm not going to heal you; I'll_ _just_ _drag you to the hospital wing and leave you there!_

 _Don't you care?_ The sparring came natural – both girls knew the other's moves so well the combat became more akin to a dance. She didn't hold back, putting the full force of her semblance behind her swings. A flurry of blows and illusions burst across the room as they blew off steam. _They're dead!_

Neo cartwheeled under a lunge and kicked at Ruby's stomach, sending her staggering back. Her sword flicked back and forth as she stalked after her. _Of course I care, I lived with them for three months!_ _But sometimes, Rose, deaths aren't you_ _r_ _fault! You should know that better than anyone, so stop fucking blaming yourself!_

 _If I had-_

 _You were_ asleep. _Unless strength mean_ _s_ _single-handedly beating a horde of Grimm sleepwalking, which it doesn't, there was no way we could have stopped this!_

Ruby kicked further into her semblance, spiraling around Neo as a cloud of petals. Reforming above Neo, she stabbed downwards only for her blade to meet Neo's parasol. _It's not fair! It was a training mission! People don't die on training missions!_

Neo spun her umbrella, throwing Ruby off as she brought her weapon back to her side. She skidded away, coming to a full stop as Neo's shoulders sagged and her countenance fell. _Yeah, well clearly sometimes they do._

Rising Thorn fell out of her hands, slowly tumbling to the ground and clattering against the floor. They stared at each other, then fell into a tight standing hug. She had grown an inch in the past semester, and now Neo could comfortably nest her head against Ruby's neck. Neo's arms wrapped tight around her waist, and Ruby held one hand against Neo's head and the other at her back. _Harkan._ _He killed them_ _._

 _I know._ _I'm putting you in danger. Everyone around is in danger, because of me._

"So if you two are done trying to kill each other..."

They sprung apart, a warm blush highlighting Ruby's cheeks. She turned to face Weiss. "Aah, Weiss! We were, um- I- What did you want again?"

It took one look at her leader's face to see that Weiss Schnee was _not_ happy. "What the hell was that, out there? Were you trying to get killed?!"

 _Are you fucking kidding me?!_

Ruby froze as Weiss advanced on her, wilting under her icy blue glare. "What do you mean?"

"Ruby Rose, I toldyou _twice_ to listen to me, and you ignored me! Do you understand how much of a dangerous reckless stupid idiotic idea it was to take a Beringel head on!? Do you!?" Weiss yelled.

"I had no choice-"

"Oh, you had no choice, huh?" Weiss snapped. "What if you had died too? You aren't a solo huntress, Ruby. You're on a team, and _I_ am the leader! You've been ignoring my instructions all semester, and _this_ is what happens when you don't listen! I'm sick of it! If you want to be a part of Team WBYR, you have to act like it! Blake, Yang, and I have been working on teamwork for eight months, and you throw any battle plan we have right out the window the second you unleash Rising Thorn!"

"I was _being a huntress_!" Neo caught her wrist before she could go for her weapon, then squeezed when she tried to break free of the grip. "That thing almost crushed Yang! Why the hell would we retreat and circle up against something that big? There's a reason we slept with our weapons by our sides – so we could fight if something like this happened!"

"We aren't ready to handle a Grimm that strong! If Professor Port hadn't been there-"

"Yeah, what if he hadn't been there? That thing was strong enough to take all six of us down in a single swing back to back like that! It's our job to be strong enough! Violet and I could have handled it!"

"Yeah, you could have handled it, just like Merc and Emmy could have handled it." Weiss' voice cracked, and Ruby shut up as another wave of regret and anger ripped at her chest. "I thought you were going to get killed. I thought I was going to have to bury my partner too."

"Weiss..." Neo let go of her and gently picked her weapon up as silence hung heavy between the partners. "I'm sorry..."

"Well, maybe you should consider showing it for once." Weiss turned away, walking towards the exit. "We've been together in the dorm – maybe you should hang out with your team for once instead of having your secret romance with your fake cousin for once." She slammed the door shut behind her, leaving Ruby and Neo gaping in her wake.

 _You have to go apologize._

 _Are you going to come?_

 _No._ When Ruby hesitated, she shook her head. _She needs you more than I do right now. I've seen plenty of death. I'll be fine._

 _But you're not fine._

 _I will be. Besides, it's not like I'm going anywhere, idiot._ A flickering illusory Neo appeared next to the real one, and both nodded at the door. _Go._

If it hadn't been for the faint crying coming from a nearby alcove, Ruby might have sprinted past Weiss. She skidded to a halt, backtracking to find her partner curled up on the floor by a marble statue. Without thinking, she sunk down the cold stone next to her, Neo's illusion watching by her side. _Should I say something?_

 _Uh… Maybe just let her spit it out herself? She'll talk to you, probably._

Sure enough, Weiss slowly started to calm down, leaned ever so slightly against her tucked-in knees. Ruby tried to remember what Yang did whenever she cried – hushing Weiss, she brushed her ponytail out of her face and leaning back.

"I failed."

"You didn't fail," she whispered. "You were a great leader! You took action, and you did the best you could."

"You don't get it, Ruby." Weiss' gaze was distant, her clenched fist white against her knees. "You're not a leader - you're a hero. You go after crime lords alone and take massive Grimm head-on. You can't understand what it really means to have a team, to lead a team. Remnant needs people like you, but there is a _time and a place_ for that. This was a training mission, I was in charge, and now two people are dead. That's a failure. Running away is a failure, and it's my fault because as a leader, it's my job to keep all of you safe – and yes, that includes you."

"Weiss..."

The Schnee heiress sighed, her head pressing back against the statue. "You don't know what it was like, growing up with my father. I've been training to be a leader my entire life, and this is what happens the first time I get a real chance to prove myself. I'm eighteen now. I'm not a kid anymore, and I can't _afford_ to screw up like this because _people get hurt_!"

Ruby caught Weiss' fist before she could slam it into the stone. "No. This wasn't your fault."

 _Tell her what I told you._

"Didn't you listen to a thing I just said?" Weiss exclaimed, whipping around to shoot her a furious glare. "I told you, you don't understand-"

"And I'm telling you that you're wrong." She let go of Weiss' fist, gently resting her hand on the floor. "You were asleep, Emmy and Merc were ambushed, and we had no idea how strong the Grimm were. We both know that wasn't the first year Grimm clearing mission we signed up for. Nobody is going to blame you for this."

"But-"

"Look, Weiss, we both know I'm a terrible partner. Thing is, it's still my job to support you, just like it's yours to do the same thing for me, so listen to me. If you hadn't been leading our team, we probably would have fallen apart months ago. You're amazing, and this _wasn't your fault_."

Weiss deflated, hanging her head and letting her knees slide away from her chest. "I- I guess you're right."

Sighing, Ruby pushed herself into a standing position and offered her hand out. "You're right. We should be together right now, as a team."

She pulled Weiss up, and the heiress met her defeated gaze. "We're still here, and that's what matters. C'mon, we've already left Yang and Blake alone for too long, _god_ knows what they've been doing alone."

Ruby smiled slightly as Neo's illusion slipped her spectral hand into her other. "Yeah. Let's go home."

* * *

Clouds shifted the shadows, rain violently pelting the airship's window. Dane stared blankly at the storm raging outside, lost in thought as a teacup was placed in front of him. He was not here, no – his thoughts were still on the desperate chaos of the Grimm and the pulsing blue light racing to catch up with the bullhead.

 _That was the power Fire Bitch and Pale Face have… Adam, what have you gotten the White Fang into?_

Growing up in Atlas, the Grimm had always seemed so distant. Between the military and hunters, he had never seen a Grimm until he joined Atlas Academy – even then, it was only on carefully controlled training missions. It hadn't been until he left the academy and traveled to Vale to find the White Fang that he understood how destructive and vicious the creatures truly were beyond safe walls.

But this, how the Grimm had swarmed and attacked on cue… It felt wrong, deeply wrong, and he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't afraid.

And that fear made grief all the easier to fake.

"Dane, I am deeply sorry for your loss. If we had known the Grimm would gather in such high concentrations, we would never have sent your team and Team WBYR in to fight." General Ironwood settled into a chair across from him, picking up his own teacup.

Dane left his untouched. "I understand, sir."

"Are you alright?"

"No." He let the silence stretch on for a moment, then said, "Sir, the Grimm... They were like nothing that I've ever seen in my life, and so close to the city. It felt like something is happening, something big..."

Ironwood's eyes widened, just like Dane knew he would. _He's so predictable, it's almost funny._ "Do you have proof for that?"

"That man... The one who created the EMP... Who was he?" he asked, careful to keep his tone level.

"He..." Ironwood's frown deepened, and he rose to his feet and walked to the stormy window. "That was a man named Harkan... His semblance allows him to disable and destroy electrical objects, and that was a physical manifestation of it."

 _Destroying ele- Holy shit, that's an overpowered semblance. Then again, it's so specific..._ "They're dead. Half of my team dead, just like that..."

"This is the burden we carry with us every day." The general bowed his head, lacing his fingers together behind his back. "We are protectors, and people look to us to guarantee their safety. We put ourselves in harm's way instead of those who are not able to do the same."

"Now it's just me and Violet," Dane said, a hint of true bitterness creeping into his tone. Emerald and Mercury were no charmers, but there was a professional quality to their relationship he appreciated. Violet, on the other hand, was a mystery on a mystery - mute, inseparable from her cousin Ruby Rose, brilliant in the training room. She was the only person who had managed to even match up to the Black Rose in the time he'd been at Beacon, and their fights were a true spectacle to watch.

Ironwood's shoulders stiffened, almost imperceptibly, and Dane narrowed his eyes.

He already knew Violet had a secret, and that it had something to do with Ruby; clearly, Ironwood was in on the know.

"Actually, Ozpin has informed me that he won't allow a two-person team to room together at Beacon. That's why I called you up here, actually - to check up on you and to tell you your new team assignment."

Dane blinked. "What?"

"As I'm sure you're aware, Cardin Winchester tragically lost his life last November, and his team has been left with three people ever since. Your new teammates will be Dove, Russel, and Sky."

"You're kidding, right?" he asked, the edge of his lip pushing up as Ironwood shook his head. "My teammates are _dead_ , and you're putting me with a C-class team of disgraced leaderless bullies?! Racist too, if I understand it right."

"Dane-"

He ignored the warning in the general's voice, pushing his fury down and changing the subject. _Of course, things are exactly the same as they were before._ "And what exactly are you planning on doing with Violet?"

"I believe Ozpin intends for her to room with Team WBYR. I understand she works well with them." Ironwood turned around and met Dane's expression with a stern ultimatum. "You are grieving, Dane, but we must keep moving forward. If you don't have a full four-person team, you won't be able to compete in the Vytal festival. You have a promising career ahead of you, and we are doing our best to facilitate that."

"And what about her? Team WBYR isn't going to be in the Vytal Festival, don't you care about her 'future career' too?" he hissed, pitying how bad Ironwood was at concealing his thoughts.

"Violet had already expressed interesting in joining Team WBYR in keeping the peace at the Faunus Rights march. We decided this was the best course of action - surely you can understand that."

Dane rose to his feet, setting the teacup down as his face fell into a deeper scowl. "And this is already happening, huh. I guess there isn't much else for us to talk about today, is there?"

"I am sorry. You have my assurance that we will increase our troop presence in Vale, and another tragedy like this will not happen under my watch."

"Sure." _Like you have any idea what's happening in this kingdom._ Dane stalked towards the door, pulling it open to the surprise of the Atlesian soldier standing outside.

"Oh, and Dane?"

He fought his face back to a reasonable position, then turned back to the office. Ironwood watched him with concern, and Dane nearly growled at the look of utter sincerity. _Why is he so hard to hate sometimes?_ "What?"

"If you ever want to talk, my ship is always open."

He paused, then nodded, a slow smile crossing his face. "I'll keep that in mind, General. I hope you don't mind if I take you up on that, sometimes."

"Not at all." The door swung shut, and James sank down at his desk and put his head in his hands. "Not at all..."

* * *

 _After Augustus took me, I didn't see Raven for a while. I'm not sure why – all I know was that when she came back, she was… different. Maybe it was the look in her eyes, maybe it was something about the way she walked, held herself. I guess that was ten years ago, now._

 _And Augustus?_

 _I was afraid at first, but for_ _that_ _first couple of months, he was nice to me. I was well-fed, for the first time since Starling I got good training, real clothes… It wasn't until I found Raven again that things started to change..._

Trees brushed the sky purple, smoke rising from campfires into the night air. The guard never had a chance to yawn as the blade met his throat. Neo ripped her knife out, the air rippling as she concentrated on maintaining her invisibility.

Now thirteen, her long hair fell down her back. She wore an old pair of beige combat fatigues – the pants were infinitely easier to fight in than any other combat outfit she had ever had, plus it was comfortable. Augustine had given her personal permission to slaughter any of his men who tried to make a move on her, and she took greater pride in her combat prowess than ever before in her life.

Tonight, though, she was on an assassination mission.

With the guard dead, it was easy to let her guard down for a moment and slip into the camp. She still struggled with her invisibility illusion – it took a lot of concentration to project her semblance onto her body. Once in, she shot to the shadows and slunk towards the main tent where she knew the leader of this particular bandit tribe would be.

Augustine wasn't content with just his tribe. No, he wanted to lead all of the bandit tribes on Anima, and Neo was his right-hand girl.

The tent was silent. She had done this before; as a little kid, killing the leader's entire family had made her vomit, but now she hardened her emotions and sunk the blade in without a second thought. He had commanded her to do it, and she had no reason to disobey: Augustine treated her well, and it wasn't like she had a choice anyways.

The chief choked on his own blood. As if on cue, screams came from the main camp. Neo sprung away from his bedside, making a break for the back entrance. _I don't know what that is, but I don't want to be here to find out._

Slinking through the shadows, she stopped short and frowned. _On the other hand, I need to figure out who's attacking this tribe, or else he'll just send me out to figure it out anyways._ Turning back, she crouched behind a tent and watched the battle in the center of the camp.

Bandits fought bandits, bloody combat that sent people to the ground and knocked tents aside. The resident tribe was slowly driven backward, pushed into a semicircle around the main tent for their last stand. The other tribe began to advance, only to stop as a dark figure strode forward and yelled, "Hold your attack."

Neo's breath caught in her throat – she didn't bear to hope, to believe the woman with raven hair and a Grimm mask could be Raven. Before she knew it, she was running out from the shadows and throwing herself at the Nevermore Queen. "Raven!"

Both tribes stared as Raven caught her defensive blow in midair and whispered, "Neo?"

Their weapons clattered to the ground as Neo burst into tears, clinging to Raven as the men around them whispered to each other. "H-he was so awful..."

"It's really you..." the bandit leader murmured in stunned disbelief, then she started to shake with visible fury as a strange blue haze surrounded her body. Neo was too overcome with emotion to put together any reasonable question. "Is he-"

"Dead. Augustine is better, but..." Neo sniffed, squeezing Raven tighter. "I missed you."

Raven ran her fingers through her hair, shaking her head. "You've gotten so much taller…"

"Hey, can somebody tell me what the fuck is going on?"

The speaker was one of the defeated tribe's men – both tribes were awkwardly standing around with their weapons drawn. Before Raven could react, Neo broke away from her and turned to the man. "Oh, you want to know what's going on?"

The man gulped and braced his sword as illusions slowly began to spiral around Neo's body. "I, um… yes?"

"What's happening," she snarled, her pleasant expression of disinterest turning ugly as her smirk deepened, "is your leader is dead in his room, choking in a pool of his own blood, while I just found my mom for the first time in a year. Guess what you just did? Interrupted it."

"Th- the Nevermore Queen is your _mom_?" the man squeaked, and Neo shrugged as her eyes shifted colors. "Ho-"

The man never got a chance to finish his question before she launched herself at him. Illusion spiraled around him, and he fell to the ground with a terrified whimper before she sent her blade through his neck. The rest of the defeated men stumbled backward as she casually let go of the dead man's shoulder and kicked his body to one side. "Anyone else feel like pissing me off? Why are you even carrying your weapons? I told you, your leader is dead."

Neo turned back to Raven, spinning her dagger in her hand. She was staring appraisingly and gave her a warm smile and nod. "You've gotten so strong, Neo. I'm impressed."

"Well, Augustus has been giving me real training again, unlike _him_. All he ever did was use me as his sex toy," she said, falling back into Raven's arms as she gave the gesture for her tribe to restrain the remaining men.

Raven shook her head, her raw anger abating slightly. "I should have killed him. I had a chance to kill him."

"Where were you?" Neo asked, her voice carrying a year of anger and desperation. "Why did you stop coming? Why weren't you there when he would make me stay on the bed for a week while he was traveling? Why?"

"Summer died." Raven looked away from her, stooping down to pick up her sword. Sliding it into her scabbard, she said, "I was there – Qrow told me to come, that they were desperate. There was a big Grimm invasion, we almost made up, and then she stopped it but it killed her."

"Oh." Neo had memories of Summer – she visited Raven often, and she used to give Neo cookies sometimes.

"I didn't go to the funeral. There was a raid, and I didn't want to see Tai."

"Oh."

"And then there was a- there was a woman, and she had a power, and now _I_ have that power, and it's…" Raven shuddered again, glowing a slight blue before fighting it down again. "It took me a long time before I learned to control it. I'm sorry, Neo – I couldn't risk losing control or revealing it. I should have come anyway."

Before she could say anything else, her body glowed green as one of Augustus' commands triggered: _get in and out as fast as possible unless something important comes up or you have to fight, and even then, don't linger._ She gave Raven a sad smile and another hug. "I have to go. Will you come see me, now?"

"Of course I will," Raven murmured into her hair, letting her go and meeting her eyes. "I'm just glad that you're okay."

"Promise." Neo reached out and grabbed her gauntlet. "Promise that you won't leave me alone like that again."

Raven stared for a moment, then nodded. "Of course I won't. I promise."

* * *

"Okay, Jaune, where exactly are we going?"

Pyrrha couldn't keep the stupid grin off of her face as Jaune led her through Beacon's halls blindfolded. She had known this was coming – her boyfriend wasn't exactly a good liar – but she was pretending like she didn't for his sake. She felt the warm spring air as they left the school building, and grass tickled her ankles.

"Oh, nowhere in particular… It's just a SURPRISE!"

Jaune pulled the blindfold off her face, and she laughed in delight as Ren, Nora, and Team WBYR all cheered "Surprise!" along with Jaune.

"Happy birthday!" Ruby yelled, and Pyrrha caught her best friend in a hug as she looked back at Jaune.

"Did you do all of this?"

He grinned, scratching the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "I told you I was going to throw you a party, didn't I?"

"I helped!" Nora shouted as she pulled a party hat over an unamused Ren's head.

"And Nora helped too, yeah." Ruby let go of Pyrrha, and she stepped into Jaune's waiting embrace as he planted a kiss on her cheek. "Happy eighteenth birthday, Pyr. C'mon, Nora said she would eat the entire cake if we don't get there first!"

She laughed, letting him wrap an arm around her waist and guide her towards the food table. Leaning in, she murmured into his ear, "Thank you."

Yang leaned against the table as she took in the cake - chocolate frosting, vanilla cake, and so many sprinkles it seemed like the cake was going to collapse under the weight. "Happy birthday!"

Pyrrha bust out laughing at the sight of the cake. "I take it Nora did this too?"

"Actually, I'm pretty sure it was Ruby and Violet, and, well, you've seen how she gets around sugar." Pushing off of the white tablecloth, she winked at Jaune as she pulled her into a hug. "Sorry, vomit boy, you can't have her all to yourself today."

"Hey, maybe I just don't like airships," he bantered back good-naturedly as he cut two pieces from the cake. "Besides, I'm sure Blake is keeping you plenty busy."

"You know it."

Pyrrha cast a glance at Blake and Weiss, who were deep in conversation off to the side. "What's up with them today?"

"Oh, the usual." Yang shrugged, throwing them a casual gesture as she cut herself her own piece of cake. "Blake refuses to stop stressing out about her parents, and Weiss is still depressed about the mission. It's weird when Ruby is somehow more functional and normal than half our team."

"It's nice." Pyrrha smiled at Ruby, who was laughing with Nora as Ren groaned in exasperation. "She was depressed for a long time, so I think it's wonderful to see her like this."

"You've been a good friend for her," Yang said, her playful grin betraying her serious tone. "Thank you."

"She does look happier, doesn't she?"

Jaune stared at Ruby, and Pyrrha's heart sank as she saw a familiar cold glint in his eyes. Reaching out, she touched his shoulder. "You still haven't forgiven her?"

He didn't answer her, and she sighed as Yang poked Jaune. "C'mon, it's been months. Obviously, she's gotten better, go give Rubes another chance."

"You're her sister, you're, like, contractually obligated to say that," Jaune muttered.

"Jaune..."

He shot Pyrrha a look, his face visibly softening as he shifted towards her. "Look, I just don't know. She looks better, sure, but when she gets angry her eyes still get red and she still loses control. She's snapped twice, and when it happens again, I'm worried someone else will get seriously hurt. She scares me. Watching you two around her scares me." Yang opened her mouth in protest, and he cut her off with a gesture. "Yeah, I get it, sister and best friend. Just don't ask me to be friends with her."

Yang looked ready to argue, but Pyrrha cut her off with a glance. Instead, she kissed Jaune and said, "Thank you for putting all of this together. I never had real birthday parties as a kid, this is amazing."

He flushed slightly. "I wanted to make it bigger, but it ended up only being the eight of us..."

"Jaune." Yang had slipped off to talk to Blake and Weiss. She pressed her forehead to her boyfriend's, taking his hands in hers and stared into his blue eyes. "You have no idea how grateful I am for all of this. A year ago, my birthday was a reheated dinner and a store-bought cake alone at home because my parents were out of town. Now I have friends, and _you_. Even if you had forgotten, that would have been enough."

"I would never have forgotten," Jaune whispered, rocking back and forth with the breeze.

"Nora said you asked Ren to remind you five times."

"Okay, so maaaybe I forgot a little, but still..."

She sighed, relaxing into his embrace. "They called me today, you know."

"Your parents?"

"Yeah. They wished me a happy birthday, then informed me of their expectations for me in the Vytal Festival."

Jaune frowned, then leaned in and kissed her. "It's your birthday, we can worry about all of that tomorrow."

"Wait, you ate the cake before we sang to you?" Weiss exclaimed. "That's literally not how birthdays are supposed to work!"

"Ooh, are we going to _sing_ now?" Nora asked with an evil grin, whipping the megaphone from the dance out from under the table.

Pyrrha let Jaune sweep her towards the table, her heart singing with happiness. Surrounded by everyone she loved, basking in the late spring sun… This was perfect, like nothing she had ever felt before, and she wanted this moment to last forever.

* * *

 **[A/N] Can we just talk about how much I love Weiss? She cares really deeply about her teammates, and she's slowly learning what it really means to be a leader. Even at her worst moments, she's carrying her burdens so nobody else on WBYR has to, and she's so so strong while she's doing it. Then there's also the "'** That's literally not how birthdays are supposed to work! **'" Weiss (I love that quote) and she's just as loveable as leader Weiss.**

 **(** _ **happy sigh)**_ **Writing this story literally makes me so happy. Everyone's grown so much, and they keep learning and developing and moments like the birthday party are amazing.** **I also love that none of these characters, save Ren, Nora, and maybe Yang, are the same as Canon anymore, and who they are is something unique and wonderful** **and** **I love** **it so much ^_^** **.**

 **Thank you again to all of the wonderful people who reviewed last chapter! Your feedback was fantastic and insightful, and very much appreciated. I spend 12-16 hours on these chapters typically, so hearing your thoughts is incredibly rewarding. Concrit is always welcome and requested here (** **That means constructive criticism, a couple people were confused about that after last week) Thank you in advance for helping me improve this story!**

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 **Find me on other platforms!**

 **AO3 (my secondary fic posting site): Allison Illuminated**

 **Tumblr (my blog with writing advice and shitty fanart): Allison Illuminated**

 **Youtube (dumb memes and my re:Bound playlists): Allison Illuminated**

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 **I'm going to be away from my computer next weekend, so the next update will be in two weeks. I can't wait to see you guys then!**

 **Signing out, Allie**

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 **[A/N 2/14/18] Hey everyone, and happy Valentine's Day! If you can't wait ten more days for chapter 23, I've posted a PREVIEW on my Tumblr, so go check that out! The link is in my bio, or you can just find at Allison Illuminated there too!**

 **Follow me on Tumblr too, I want to start doing more exclusive previews, fanart, and other related stuff over there. If you want to stay up to date on the latest with me and my writing, that's the place!**

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 **Estimated Update Day: 2/24/18**


	23. V3 - Family Ties

Volume Three, Chapter Three: Family Ties

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re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 2/25/18

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"Hello~ We'll take one strawberry sundae with hot fudge, rainbow sprinkles, whipped cream, two cherries, and one of the cute little umbrellas you put on the margaritas - actually, I'd take one of those too-"

The man at the cash register raised an eyebrow at Yang, who was casually leaning against the glass ice cream case. "I think you're a little young for that, Miss."

She shrugged, surveying the flavors below her elbow. "Gotcha… So I want that, and then we'll also take one scoop of chocolate in a cup."

Yang looked back over her shoulder to beam at Blake. Her girlfriend rolled her eyes, ears gently curling as she leaned against a nearby pole. "You get that every time, huh?" she teased as Yang dug into her pockets and pulled out some lien.

"There's no such thing as too much ice cream!" she exclaimed, extending the card to the cashier with two fingers. The cashier blushed as she gave him a saucy wink. "She's with me, so give her a little extra, 'kay?"

Spinning around, she presented Blake with her ice cream. Her partner laughed, accepting it and lead them to a metal table with a wide umbrella. The ice cream stand stood by the wharf of Vale's commercial district, and they had a wide vista with cerulean waves and the gold-tinted clouds of late afternoon. "That sounded like something Ruby would say."

"You know what they say, you can't reason with a cookie addiction." Yang swung her chair around the table so her legs rested beside Blake's in perfect position to watch ships drifting across the horizon.

Blake smiled, and Yang was drawn towards her happy beauty. Her hand lingered on her partner's neck as they pulled out of the kiss. "Thank you," her partner murmured.

"Hey, it's my job to spoil you," she said. "Besides, nothing like a little sugar to take the edge off of things."

It wasn't obvious, but she could still trace the deep rings under Blake's eyes. They had both put on makeup that morning; Yang _never_ wore make-up, but she desperately wanted to make a good impression on Blake's parents so she had thrown on some eyeliner and lip gloss. Weiss had laughed when she had seen her, to her mortification, then had spent the next ten minutes helping her fix it. Blake, on the other hand, had spent nearly an hour concealing all signs of her insomnia on top of her usual date makeup.

Yang bit her lip as Blake licked ice cream off the small plastic spoon, wondering not for the first time how she had managed to get such a hot girlfriend. At Signal, all of the guys had been disgusting around her, and the girls all assumed she was straight. There had been a mousy girl with oversized glasses and a nice smile when she was fourteen, Pearl Smith, but her parents had stopped them after one date.

She probably would have broken up with Pearl anyways. Even when they had been together, she had treated her with a quiet reverence – their lone kiss, stolen behind the combat arena, igniting nothing within her. It had been nothing like this: Blake, who got her like nobody she had ever met before, who could keep up with her in combat and got her humor, who was _perfect…_

A finger brushed against her cheek, and Yang started as Blake wiped the rogue strawberry ice cream from her lips and nose. "What were you thinking about?"

Truthfully, she said, "How amazing you are."

"You should pay more attention when you eat." Blake grinned at her as she popped her finger into her mouth. "Besides, I think your sundae is melting."

Yang's eyes lit up, and she jumped out of her seat and grabbed a thin white straw from the nearby condiment stand. Sauntering back to her seat, she slipped the plastic into her treat. "Well, they call it _straw_ berry for a reason, don't they?" A delighted laugh slipped out of Blake's mouth before she could hold it back, and Yang's heart glowed as she leaned to the side and took a long exaggerated sip from the sundae. _I love how she loves my stupid puns._ _I love this so much._

Electricity arced between their fingers as Blake reached for the straw and pulled the sundae to the middle of the table. "I guess I'll just have to try it, then."

Yang relinquished the straw, quirking an eyebrow at the empty bowl by her girlfriend's side. "What happened to not wanting too much?"

"Oh, you know..." Blake mimicked her pose as she took a long sip from the straw, making her blush. "I thought there was no such thing as too much ice cream?"

A foghorn blasted across the port, and both of their heads shot up to look at the wharf. A four-deck ship with a long bow and a Mistrali symbol adorning the side drifted to the dock, people lined across the deck waving down at the pier below.

Yang took Blake's now-stiffened hand and gently squeezed. "Hey, it's going to be fine, I promise. C'mon, let's go wait for them, okay?"

"Yeah," Blake said faintly, then shook her head and repeated, "Yeah, it'll be fine. I don't think they've been in Vale since I was twelve, we shouldn't keep them waiting." They rose to their feet and brought the last remnants of ice cream to the garbage can, then started towards the pier. She pulled Blake towards her as they walked, rubbing her back and planting a kiss on her cheek.

If Yang was being honest with herself, she felt just as nervous as Blake. Sure, they were Blake's parents, but… Blake had a dad and a _mom_ , who – according to her stories – made up an actually functional family together. She pushed down the lump in her throat, ignoring the searing memory of saying goodbye to Summer for the last time and held on to Blake tighter. _She doesn't need my issues right now. We're dealing with her long-lost family, not my shitty mom, so I've got to stay strong for her._

The gangplank carried down all manner of people: sailors reuniting with their family, tearful meetings from people across the globe. She tightened her grip on Blake's hand, and the other girl exhaled and did the same. A woman with short black hair and pierced cat ears stopped short halfway down the gangplank, then ran the rest of the way down. Yang let go of Blake's hand and stepped to the side as Blake's mom embraced her, warmth lingering on her palm. "Mom?" her partner whispered, then fiercely hugged the older woman back.

"Blake!" A massive man wearing armor ran over to embrace the pair.

Yang viciously stomped out her pangs of jealousy as she watched her partner reunite with her family. _Summer is dead and_ _Mom_ _is gone. Get over it and support your girlfriend._

The Belladonnas broke apart, and there was an awkward pause as nobody seemed to have words to fill the silence. Finally, Blake caught her supportive glance and said, "Um, hi Mom. Dad."

Blake's mom held herself back for a moment, then threw herself on her daughter again. "Oh, Blake, we saw the video and just didn't know… You hadn't said anything for years, and we were starting to worry that you were dead, and- and-"

"We were surprised, to say the least," her dad offered. "Although, you were never one to stop fighting, so perhaps we shouldn't have been."

Blake's ears flattened. She looked down, pulling her arm from behind to the back of her hip. "I- I left the White Fang. You were right about Adam. I should have listened to you, I- I wish- I'm so sorry."

 _Hmm…_ _So obviously her mom is a cat, and her dad- Is he like a_ _bear_ _or something? He's so big, and he's got that chest hair – probably claws too – huh, I really don't know. Cat Mom and_ _Bear_ _Dad?_

Bear Dad shook his head. "Blake… We've never faulted you for staying with the Fang. Your mother and I are just glad that you're okay."

Blake's lip trembled. "So you're not mad at me?"

"Of course we aren't mad!" Cat Mom exclaimed. "We're so glad that you're safe and that we've finally found you again!"

Blake caught her breath in disbelief. Looking from parent to parent, she promptly broke out into tears.

Yang had to hold herself back as both of Blake's parents rushed to her side, her heart breaking as she watched. _She doesn't need me right now._ Meanwhile, Bear Dad was gently stroking Blake's ears and murmuring, "There, there. It's okay, we're here now."

She sniffed and wiped her eye, eyeliner coming off in a black smudge. "I wasn't supposed to cry..." Before Cat Mom could say anything, she shook her head and broke away. "I want to tell you guys everything, or at least everything I can. I was stupid to stay away for so long. I'm sorry."

"Well, we're not going anywhere," Bear Dad said with a warm smile. "Why don't we find a nice restaurant and get some dinner? I'd love some time to reconnect with my daughter."

Sniffing, Blake mumbled, "T-that sounds nice."

"We could get Mistrali food," Cat Mom suggested. "I know how much you like their fish..."

The faintest hint of a smile dusted the edges of her frown. Sunlight dimmed behind the ocean liner, tinting the sky purple and orange. "That sounds nice..."

"So, should we go?" her dad asked, placing one hand on each of their shoulders.

Blake from one parent to the other and Yang tensed as conflict raced through her eyes. Finally, her partner sighed and said, "Actually… there's someone you need to meet first." She turned and gestured to Yang, who blushed. "This is Yang, my partner and, um, girlfriend. Yang, these are my parents."

Blank disbelief "Girlfriend?" Bear Dad echoed, shaking his head in shock. Blake shot her a look, so she grinned and nodded.

"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Belladona," she said, feeling tiny under his judgmental glare. "Nice to meet you."

Cat Mom was the first to recover, a warm smile replacing her shock. "Well, we knew you weren't straight but this is certainly unexpected. Please, dear, call me Kali, and my husband is Ghira."

Ghira coughed pointedly. "I think Mr. Belladonna is just fine."

"Ghira!" Kali lightly hit his arm, shaking her head with a bemused expression.

Blake walked to Yang's side, her fingers brushing against Yang's. The touch was rigid, and she immediately took her hand. Leaning in, she whispered, "See, I told you it would be fine." Tension drained from Blake's stance alongside some of her worries – everything was going to be fine. _I'm here for you, Blake._

"Mom, Dad, do you mind if Yang has dinner with us?"

"Of course not," Kali said, even as Ghira's face made it very clear that he did, in fact, mind. Yang grinned, catching a familiar determined glint in her partner's eyes. _Sorry, Bear Dad, but I don't think Blake would let you say no even if you wanted to._

All three turned to her dad, who made a gruff noise as he deflated. "I suppose if you really are dating my daughter..."

As they left the docks and caught a cab to a restaurant, Yang stuck close to Blake's side. They made small talk, avoiding heavy conversations as they got out at a nice Mistrali place and took their seats.

The restaurant was decorated in traditional fashion – tables made from carved maple and red wallpaper that danced by the candlelight. They sat two and two, so Yang found herself avoiding Ghira's scrutinizing gaze. A waiter came by and took their order, then they found themselves alone once more.

"So, I guess you're probably wondering how I ended up at Beacon, huh," Blake offered hesitantly.

"That is one of our… many questions, yes," Ghira said.

Kali pursed her lips, unfolding her napkin and smoothing it out on her lap. "Maybe you should start from the last time we saw you."

Blake took a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. So, I guess after you guys went back to Menagerie..."

Yang listened intently as Blake recounted her time in the White Fang. She had heard her story before, of course, but parts of it were new to her. Names she didn't recognize were thrown across the table – one that came up repeatedly was a girl named Illia. She pretended not to notice both of Blake's parents shooting her looks every time somebody mentioned Illia's name. Finally, she interrupted Blake and asked, "Who's Illia?"

"You don't know who Illia is?" Kali asked. "But she's Blake's best friend-"

"Not anymore." Everyone turned back to Blake, who looked down at her plate. "A year and a half ago, everything started to change. Adam, he… Things started to change, and I was almost seventeen- I didn't see what was really happening, I thought I knew what I wanted, so Adam and I… He..."

Ghira's eyes widened, and he slowly set his glass down on the table. "Blake, are you telling me that you and Adam..."

"I was so, so stupid." Blake squeezed her eyes shut, holding Yang's hand harder under the table. "I didn't- He had been my teacher and role model for so long, I thought he was strength, or justice, but- First he started taking me only on his personal missions. I stopping getting to lead team missions, and the rest of my team dispersed back into the Fang. After that, he started cutting me off from the rest of the leadership, and I moved into his tent. I haven't talked to Illia in a year since our friendship collapsed; she never even told me why, but I know Adam did something..."

"You never told me about her," Yang murmured, fighting her temper down. "Was that when he started… you know..."

"Hitting me? Yeah."

Ice cubes clattered against glass, and Ghira growled as Kali's eyes narrowed to slits. "I _trusted_ Taurus! I thought he was good man!"

Bitterly, Blake said, "Yeah, so did I."

Kali wiped tears from her eye again. "Blake, I- We- If we had known..."

"I got out of it, though. We were going to blow up a SDC train, a manned one. Adam had gotten so callous… I told him we couldn't kill all those people, and he- There was a distraction, so I ran ahead and disconnected the passenger cars from the cargo and just… ran."

"Oh, Blake..."

Yang found Blake's hand under the table, and Blake shot her an appreciative look. "I wasn't ready to face you guys, or anyone really, after that. Beacon- There was a scholarship, and I was living in a shelter in Vale with no money. I had no reason not to apply, and it was full-ride too. Well, I got in, which is how I ended up at Beacon."

Their food came and Blake was suddenly very distracted by a steaming roasted tuna in front of her. Yang had ordered fried beef strips, and she devoured her plate then picked at Blake's. Ghira poked at his food politely, but Kali didn't even bother pretending to eat as she stared down at her plate with a bleak expression. _If I was mad when Blake told me, I can't even imagine how they must feel…_

"Tell us about Beacon." Ghira rested his hand on Kali's, pushing his food away from him. "We can deal with- with _that_ later, but I'd love to hear the rest of your story too. Obviously, Yang is on your team, but tell me about it."

Blake blinked and her frown deepened. Yang knew exactly what she was thinking. She laughed shakily and said, "Beacon hasn't exactly been the… smoothest. Well, really it's been a total mess."

The look of devastation on Kali's face deepened. "What do you mean?"

"Well, our team is kinda dysfunctional," Yang said, and Blake nodded in agreement.

"Well, there's me and Yang, and- and… God, I don't even know which one is more complicated to explain." Blake looked back at her, and she shook her head to indicate that she didn't know either.

"Just choose one, Blake." Ghira sighed and leaned back in his seat. Flagging a waiter over, he grumbled, "I think my wife and I both need a glass of red, please." The waiter nodded and hurried off as Blake frowned.

"Weiss?"

Yang's brow scrunched for a moment, then she nodded. _Ruby is so much more complicated… I don't know what the secret is, let alone how Blake would even begin explaining it, since she knows…_ "Yeah, start with Weiss."

Blake's ears twitched, and she pushed her plate away. "So… We're on Team WBYR, and, um… Well, you met Yang, obviously, and there's me… And then there's our leader, who- Ugh, how am I even supposed to say this?"

"Honey, we won't care," Kali said, reaching across the table to rest a hand on Blake's arm.

"O-okay then." Biting her lip, Blake straightened herself out. "Our leader is Weiss Schnee. And yeah, Schnee like she's the heiress to the SDC."

Kali pulled her hand back as her face settled into a deep scowl. "Okay, so maybe we do care a little bit."

"And _she's_ the reason you don't like Beacon?" Ghira growled. "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing! Mom, Dad, she's not racist at all, chill out!"

Staring at the ice cubes in her glass, Yang said, "Weiss… she can be frosty sometimes, but she tries so hard to be the best leader possible for us. She's my best friend, she's amazing."

"Honestly, she's the only reason Team WBYR is still together at all." Blake met each of her parent's eyes in turn. "Yeah, she's a Schnee. We don't really care. Is that a problem?"

Kali gaped at them, then she and Ghira turned to exchange a glance. "N-no, I suppose not."

"So… If a Schnee isn't even the hardest person to explain on your team, who's the last person?"

"Well, it's really two people now," Yang mused as Blake's ears flattened.

"How much do you follow Vale news?" she asked, pulling her napkin around her glass.

Kali and Ghira exchanged a wary look. "A lot, dear. Your father is the chieftain, after all, so we stay up to date on things."

"Then you know about what happened to Roman Torchwick, right?" Yang leaned forwards, holding back a sigh as Blake tensed again.

Stiffening, Blake's dad's eyes widened. "He was killed… by a fifteen-year-old huntress in training. But- She's too young!"

"Ruby Rose. Our fourth teammate."

"And my sister."

The lowlight flickered across the empty plates as they sat in quiet contemplation. Finally, Ghira asked, "What happened?"

Blake and Yang exchanged another glance, then launched into a _heavily_ edited accounting of their time at Beacon. They ran over the start of Beacon, Ruby's crash, Violet (told exclusively by Yang at Blake's prompting), how they had gotten together, the dance and aftermath, and finally the disastrous mission from last week. By the end, Blake's parents sat in mute silence, trying to process what they had just been told.

"Here's your check, ma'am."

Kali absentmindedly took the leather booklet from the waiter. "I'm sorry, Blake. We should- I wish we had been here for you, all this time."

Suddenly, Yang felt even guiltier for her initial jealousy of Blake's parents. _Blake hasn't really had a mom either… I'm such a selfish bitch._

"It's okay, Mom." She reached across the table and took the other woman's hands, earning a sniffle from her mom. "If all of this had never happened, I would never have met Yang or Weiss. Even Ruby has gotten a lot better now."

"I'm sure your mom and I have, well, more questions than I can keep track of, but it's getting late." Ghira exhaled, placing a hand on top of his wife and daughters. "Come now, let's talk of happier things."

Yang watched as the Belladonnas had their moment, a niggling of jealousy creeping in ever so slightly. No, she wasn't going to think of that tonight. _Tonight is for Blake, and it's going better than either of us expected. I'm just glad my girlfriend has her family back – that's enough of me._

 _I just wish Mom was still around…_

* * *

"...and then the table broke, and the cake landed right on Weiss' head!"

Raven burst into laughter, pulling her hair back out of her face as she leaned over her finished dinner. Neo was already in hysterics, holding up a finger as she flew through her camera roll and pulled a video up on her phone. The Branwen leader watched it then laughed ever harder, which made Ruby join them. "Oh… Oh my god, what did she do after that?" she asked breathlessly.

 _"You know Weiss, she stomped off in a huff."_ Neo's illusory writing danced in the air, flickering as she clutched her sides. _"Then Ruby ran after her and tried to eat a piece out of her hair-"_

"It was _cake_!" Ruby exclaimed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't get a piece, what else was I supposed to do?"

 _"So Ice Queen tried to throw a piece at her, and she caught it_ _with her mouth_ _and ate it!"_

"That's what super speed is for," Ruby said with a smug grin, pointing finger guns at Neo and Raven and sending them all into another round of laughter.

Massaging her face, Raven took a deep breath and shook her head. "You're so much like Summer, Ruby…"

Calming down, Ruby sighed and shook her hair out of her face. _Ugh, who knew growing your hair out was such a pain? Bet it sucks for Yang._

 _Yeah, I don't envy her or Raven. Yours isn't even that bad, give it another six months._ Neo picked her glass of tequila and downed it, leaning back in her chair.

Even though Ruby knew Neo was nearly a decade older than her, it was still weird watching her drink like an adult. She could feel the alcohol in her system, blurring her thoughts ever so slightly. Ruby could feel the buzz too – when Neo drank she lost some control over her emotions and ended up showing Ruby way more than usual.

Sighing, Ruby looked up to see Raven's wistful gaze fixated on both of them. In the three months since she had met Yang and Neo's mom, she had come to understand that look almost always nostalgia. "You say that a lot, Aunt Raven. What was Mom like?"

"Haven't you heard about her from Tai a million times?"

Ruby ignored the bitter edge to Raven's voice, a peaceful sadness stirring in her chest. "But I wanna hear it from you too. Dad doesn't talk about either of you, much. I get to know you, but I can't know Mom like this. Really, the only clear memories I have of her aren't even mine, they're Neo's."

Simple warmth flowed through Ruby's veins. Neo gave her a warm smile, leaning against her and nesting her head against Ruby's neck. They didn't need words; she understood the impossible co-mingling of happiness and pain and responded with nothing but pride.

"Tai..." Raven sighed and readjusted the mask at her side. The restaurant hummed with late evening activity; they sat at a table secluded in the back corner. "I don't see why not. What do you want to know?"

"Everything," Ruby said simply.

A picture was presented to her, and she took it. It showed Team STRQ, like the one Yang carried with her only far more casual. Summer laughed as she leaned against Raven, her white hood down around her neck. Tai and Qrow sat on the grass too, Ruby's dad talking to the girls as her uncle exchanged a knowing smile with Raven.

She didn't know what to feel. _I wish Mom was still alive. I wish Dad would laugh like that. I wish things with Qrow would go back to the way they used to be._

 _I know, Ruby. I'm just glad Raven is here for us._ Neo traced Summer's outline on the page with one finger. _You really look just like her._

"Summer was one of the nicest people I've ever met," Raven said, smiling at her and Neo. "She was one of those people who becomes a huntress because they really want to do right for the world, out of the kindness of their heart. She also was one of the best leaders I've ever met, let alone had – she was strict when we needed it. I don't think we would have made it through all three years of Beacon without her."

"She sounds like Weiss..." Ruby murmured, Neo's warmth and strawberry conditioner making her eyes droop slightly.

Raven checked her watch and sighed. "It's almost midnight, and you're both falling asleep. I should portal you back to Blake now..."

"But I wanna hear more about Mom," Ruby mumbled.

Shaking her head, her aunt gave her a warm smile as she got to her feet. "There will be other nights, and I have to get back to the tribe. Besides, I'll be around, so you'll get plenty of other chances."

The night air was warm, Remnant's broken moon glowing softly in the stardust. Ruby yawned as she stumbled out of the restaurant with Neo's arm firmly wrapped around her waist. They broke apart, and she said, "Thank you, Aunt Raven."

"Of course." Raven pulled Neo into a tight hug, then did the same with Ruby. "Maybe I'll get to meet Weiss, someday."

"You could, though. You could come back with us, you-"

 _Ruby…_

Anger flashed in Raven's eyes for a moment, then her shoulders sagged. "I wish I could, Ruby. I really do. But I made a promise to Tai that I would stay away from Yang, and I intend to keep it."

 _"_ _Good night, Mom,"_ Neo's writing read. _"I love you."_

"I love you too," Raven whispered, then stepped to the side and cut a portal open. "I'll see you soon."

Waving goodnight to her, Ruby took Neo's hand and led her into the red mist.

Raven was standoffish with her for the first two weeks after Neo had returned. One night in March, Neo had stopped before going to visit Raven and informed her that she and Ruby were a package deal now and that Raven would have to learn to be around Ruby. After Raven started making a deliberate effort to get to know her, she had found that she really, _really_ liked the Branwen woman, and not just because of Neo's feelings towards her.

 _She's like Qrow,_ her mind whispered – she stomped that thought into the nether. No, i _t's too late for me to forgive him. He's done too much._

Where Ruby's relationship with her aunt had blossomed, her relationship with Qrow had all but withered to nothing. Soon after the dance, Ozpin had sent him on another long mission. When he had come back two weeks ago, it had been like he was a stranger. Sometimes he still waved to her or tried to say hi, but more often than not they passed each other in Beacon's hallways without a second glance.

Somewhere, the warmth still lingered on her cloak with the faint scent of motor oil and alcohol, twisting and fading in the mist.

She ignored the sadness as Beacon came into sharp focus. Books racked the library walls, spines illuminated by the dim light and the glow of holoscreens. Blake jumped in surprise as they emerged from the portal. "Oh, it's you guys."

Ruby frowned. _Is her voice scratchy?_

 _Yeah, and her eyeliner's all over the place._

"Did your parents go okay?" she asked hesitantly. Blake didn't respond, staring past her distantly. On instinct, she rushed forwards and embraced her teammate, frowning as she returned it. _I don't like this._ "What happened?"

"Nothing _happened_ ," Blake snapped, hugging her harder. "They came, I cried, Yang and I went to dinner with them, and we walked them back to the hotel room."

Blake's shoulders started to shake, and Ruby pulled her hair back, whispering, "Then why are you crying?"

"Yang's too good for me."

 _Bullshit._ Blake snorted, so Ruby knew Neo must have written it out for her benefit.

"She didn't tell me, but it was obvious that she was jealous. It was so, so obvious." She shook her head, digging her fingers into Ruby's cloak. "She's lost _two_ moms, and suddenly both of my parents come back, and I could just _feel_ it. So there I was, telling my parents complete lies about my fucked-up life and she's just there being quiet and supportive like the perfect girlfriend-"

"Blake..."

Her teammate wasn't finished. "I was hurting her, Ruby. And the worst part? I was sitting there _the whole time_ knowing perfectly well that you and Neo were off with Raven, and I _can't fucking tell her_. She's told me _everything_ about her life, and I'm hiding the fact I know her own mom better than she does!" Blake ripped herself out of Ruby's embrace and backed away.

"Blake, you know Raven promised Dad to stay away from Yang..." Ruby said, but Blake shook her head.

"Can you even imagine what she's gonna do when she finds out, Ruby?" Blake's eyes were wild and a low hiss escaped from her throat. "Her sister and her girlfriend, conspiring to keep her mom a secret from her. And that's not counting the aura bonded serial killer who Raven just happens to treat more like a daughter than Yang!"

"We can't tell her!" Ruby shouted back, trying to soothe the wave of hurt that rolled off of Neo. _She's just angry, she's lashing out. You know she didn't mean it._ "You know what the consequences are! This is dangerous, look at what happened to Cardin and Emmy and Merc! We have to-"

"You know what?" Blake snapped. "All I know is Yang gave me everything she had today because I was hurting and needed her support. She was hurting too, and I could end it but I did nothing because of a stupid secret and your stupid issues. Maybe I don't give a fuck."

Before Ruby could respond, she had stormed out of the darkened library, leaving her and Neo alone with the books. They exchanged a glance. _Should we go after her?_

Neo shook her head. _She's right, it is_ _fucked up. I think we should give her space._

 _I know, it's just…_

 _We both agree with her, but staying up stressing about it won't make it any better._ _Besides, this is Blake we're talking about. With her insomnia, we'll be up till four and that won't help anything. C'mon, let's go sleep._

Team WBYR's dorm room was quiet. Her pajamas slowly warming up against her body, she stood in the middle of the room watching her sister sleep. _Yang's hair always goes everywhere at night…_ Sighing, she glazed over Blake's empty bed and Weiss, who was peacefully sleeping in the bottom bunk of their new bunk beds.

Ruby had fought hard to keep her suspension bed, even after Neo had started sleeping with her. After one of the four ropes had snapped in the middle of the night last month, though, Weiss, Ruby, and Neo had a brand new, extremely sturdy bunk bed.

 _At least I still get my canopy,_ she thought, affectionately tracing the white fabric draped over her bed.

 _Rose, move over._ Neo clambered into bed next to her, wearing her spare set of pajamas. Ruby pulled herself toward the wall, humming as she rolled to come face to face with the other girl.

 _I miss Mom._

Neo interlocked their fingers, pressing their foreheads together. _I know. I'm just glad that you and_ _Raven_ _are getting along well now._

 _Me too._ Neo's eyes were white as Ruby whispered, "I love you," her heart sighing with satisfaction

 _So do I._

Almost on instinct, Ruby leaned further in towards her, entranced by the petite curves of her rosy lips and her body's warm pull. Before she could get too close, Neo flinched back and Ruby stopped short. _Fuck… I'm sorry, Neo._

 _No, don't be. You don't understand how much I want this, want you-_

 _Actually, I sorta do, I can kinda read your thoughts and stuff._

Neo rolled her eyes, reaching up and lightly flicking her forehead. _Shut up. It's just…_

 _It reminds you of them, when I try to kiss you?_

Rolling onto her back, Neo groaned. _I know, I know it's been three months and we still haven't kissed, it's just… Yeah, I can't stop thinking it's just like what they used to do, and- and-_

Suddenly, Ruby had an idea, and a broad smile split her face. _Well, what if you do it instead of me?_

 _Huh?_

 _Well, the_ problem _is that me trying to kiss you reminds you of them, right? So what if you kiss me, instead of me trying to kiss you._

Neo blinked. _Well, fuck._

 _What?_

 _That's really fucking obvious! How did it take us three months to think of that?_

 _I dunno, you have your problems and I didn't know how sex worked until you explained it to me in graphic detail in Port's class last fall._

 _Oh, oh yeah._ Ruby winced as Neo gave her a predatory smirk. _That was_ fun. _Sometimes torturing you was just painful for both of us, but I don't regret doing_ that _at all._ _Still, though…_

 _So, do you want to try?_ In spite of herself, there was a slight quaver to Ruby's voice, and she could feel that same fear in Neo.

 _S-sure._ They paused for a moment, both of them waiting for a moment that wasn't coming. _What exactly do I do?_

Ruby stared at her. _Kiss me? Isn't that kinda obvious?_

 _Oh. Right._ Neo flushed scarlet as she rolled off of her back and tentatively took hold of Ruby's hand.

 _Come on, Neo._ A hint of impatience crept into her tone, something inside her telling her she needed this _right now_. _I know you know how to be in control. Where's the Neo that shoved me out of bed at two to train me? Where's the Neo that-_

 _But I wasn't in control then. You were, even if you didn't know it, and I don't-_

 _Please?_ Ruby's eyes felt hot, and the ache in her chest burned unbearably. _We both want this, so don't think about it, okay?_

 _But what if I- What if I don't know how?_

 _I can help you, but only if you actually do it!_

 _Isn't that controlling me, though?_

Ruby bit back a strangled sob. _I don't know, but being in between like this hurts._

Neo was silent, her thought process concealed behind a hastily erected mental barrier. Finally, she said, _I want to try._

Taking a deep breath, Ruby nodded. _Okay. So… um…_

 _Excellent instructions, Rose. I'm really just showing you with kisses here._

 _Shut up, I don't know how this works! I've never kissed anybody or anything!_

 _Why am I letting a kiss virgin show me how to do this?_ Neo asked exasperatedly. _Look, first we grab each other's hands._

 _Okay…_ Their other hands met, palms pressed together in a tight embrace. _Then what?_

 _Roll onto your back._

A small smile crept across Ruby's face as she realized what was happening. Rolling over, electricity arced up and down her body as Neo shifted on top of her. The backs of her hands pressed into the mattress as loose pink and brown hair spilled down into her face. The sliver of light peered through her canopy onto Neo's face, highlighting the petite curve of her nose and the soft glow of her white eyes. _And what do you want me to do now?_

 _And now-_ Neo stopped in stunned shock as she realized what she was doing. _Wait, I-_

 _Nope._ Ruby stuck her tongue out at the girl above her, aching at the comfortable pressure on her body. _You did this, Neo. You do know how to take control, I just had to annoy it out of you. So, what do you want me to do now?_

A flurry of emotions spun across their bond as Neo kept staring at her in disbelief. _I-_ Finally, she smiled. _I love you, Ruby._

 _So do I._

Slowly, Neo leaned down and closed her eyes. The kiss was warm, hopeful, everything and nothing Ruby could ever have dreamed it to be. Everything about Neo was perfect, from the way their minds crashed together to the way their bodies intertwined.

Neo's lips flushed as they broke apart breathlessly, shining with vitality. _Like that?_

 _Yeah._ Ruby's fingers curled tighter around Neo's, and smiled up at her. _Just like that._

 _I'm going to kiss you again,_ Neo said, her tone questioning whether they had ever been so connected or could ever find it again.

Ruby's silver eyes shimmered, and she held on with everything she had. _Yeah, I think I'd like that._

The second kiss was different, somehow. The urgency was replaced by something longer, lasting, lingering after they broke away. Neo relaxed her grip and let herself sink down to rest on top of Ruby, her breath coming in short pants. The exhilaration… Ruby wanted to capture it and never let go, but settled for hugging her tighter to her chest. _That was amazing._

 _Thank you._ The thought was a whisper, and they rolled over onto their sides to face each other once again. _That- I've never felt anything like that. Just… thank you._

Ruby couldn't respond before yawning, nesting her chin above Neo's brow. _Yeah…_

Laughing, Neo closed her eyes and pressed her arms to her chest. _Go to sleep, Ruby. I'll still be here for you tonight._

It was too late to respond; Ruby had already fallen into a deep contented sleep, never letting Neo slip out of her arms.

* * *

 **[A/N] Writing that last scene was cathartic. It's about 1 am on Sunday, so I'm technically late – sorry 'bout that. I had a wonderful trip, and I'm glad to be back and writing again!**

 **Last chapter, I hit ten reviews on a single chapter for the first time – thank you all for being so incredible! Your feedback means so much to me, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!**

* * *

 **Chapter Three of PETALS IN THE ASH is now posted! Check it out!**

 _ **Cinder Fall hated it when her situation was out of her control. It wasn't the time travel anymore, or even being stuck in Ruby Rose's body. No, it was the icy, hostile, beautiful mystery of her "partner" Weiss Schnee, and the inexplicable draw to her she couldn't seem to shake. White Ash.**_

 **CinderxWeiss, Body Swap, Time Travel – Currently 14k, Rated T**

* * *

 **You guys are awesome, and I can't wait to be back next week! Signing out, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 3/3/18**


	24. V3 - Arrival

Volume Three, Chapter Four: Arrival

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 3/4/18

* * *

Dark night. Short breaths. Broken moon.

She shot through the streets of Mistral, her path lit by traditional streetlights coated with grime and wear. Houses burned around her; her legs pounded the ground with a raging intensity, narrowing in on the woman burning in the air. The maiden's eyes raged as she stretched out a hand. Ducking, she launched herself over the gout of flame and struck the maiden flat in the chest with a kick.

Flinching back, the other woman grabbed her foot and threw her to the ground in a column of flame. Unable to carry on, she blacked out… "K.O.!"

Ruby groaned in defeat as a victory screen flashed across the holoscreen. Tossing her controller to one side, she flopped onto her back and stretched her arms out. "No fair! I was totally gonna win that round!" she grumbled.

 _Super speed can't help you now!_ Neo said, sticking her tongue out at her. _I've spent way too much time gaming for you to ever beat me, Rose!_

"That was AWESOME!" Nora yelled before she could respond. "I call next game! Violet, you're going _down_." She jumped off of Blake's bed and snatched Ruby's controller before she could demand a rematch.

 _Oh, it's on!_

Most of Teams WBYRR and JNPR were clustered around Ruby and Yang's shared holoscreen. Blake was off in the library again, and Jaune and Pyrrha had sequestered themselves away in the other dorm room, leaving everyone else to a competitive afternoon of Semblance of Combat III. Ren lounged on Yang's bed reading a book, and Ruby joined Weiss and her sister on Weiss' bed to watch Neo and Nora square off.

"I want a rematch…" Ruby whined, leaning against Yang who poked her.

"It's okay, sis. Not all of us can be as good as Violet at fighting games."

Weiss shook her head in exasperation. "I don't understand. It's a perfectly nice day, so why are we all sitting here playing video games?"

"I'm pretty sure it's a combination of stress relief, escapism, competitive spirit, and sugar," Ren mused as he flipped a page.

Weiss stared at him, shocked that Ren had spoken at all. "Um, yeah. Sure. My _point_ was, shouldn't we all go outside and enjoy this dreadful game _outside?_ "

"YOU FIEND! I WILL SMITE YOU WITH THE POWER OF PANCAKES AND LIGHTNING!"

 _And that's a point for me!_

Realizing she wasn't getting her controller back anytime soon, Ruby swung her legs back and forth and stared at the underside of her mattress. "I wanna talk to Pyrrha," she complained, bumping her shoulder into Yang's. "Why do she and Jaune have to fuck all the time?"

"Ruby!" Yang and Weiss yelled.

She shrugged. "What, that's what they're doing, right? What do you want me to say?"

 _Oh, you can talk about fucking as much as you want…_

Ruby flushed deep red, earning her even more critical looks from her sister and leader. _N-Neo- Shut up! I- Don't-_

 _You're the one who said it, not me._

"Nah, they haven't gotten that far," Nora said dismissively, kicking her feet as she and Neo fought out an intense second point. "Jaune's too clueless to figure it out and Pyrrha's too passive to get him to do it." Weiss shot her a look and she shrugged. "She complains to me a lot."

Nodding, Ren added, "And Jaune to I."

A shadow passed by the window, and Weiss stiffened as Ruby saw the tail end of a colorful streamer flutter past. "No, it can't be." Weiss jumped to her feet and ran to the window. Pressing her nose against the glass, she gasped.

"Weiss, what's wrong?" Yang asked. Spinning on her heel, Weiss sprinted out of the dorm room and Yang ran after her.

Ruby hesitated. Half of her wanted to stay and watch the end of Neo and Nora's game, but she also wanted to run after Weiss. In the end, she yelled "Wait for me!" and sprinted after the rest of her team.

Line Break

Weiss had been right about one thing – it was a gorgeous May day, as Beacon's gardens were in full bloom. Ruby caught up to Yang and Weiss in a cloud of rose petals as they sprinted down the docks towards an Atlesian ship that had just landed

Yang bumped into Weiss as they stopped short of the airship. "What's going on? Why did you run off?"

"Yeah, Weiss, what's happening?" Ruby asked, but the heiress gave no response.

The doors to the airship slid down, revealing a regal woman with white hair in an Atlesian military outfit. Weiss gasped, and Ruby's eyes widened. _Is that… Weiss' mom?_ The woman strode down the ramp, and she and Yang both took a step backward. _She's scary!_

The woman halted before Weiss, gesturing for the two soldiers flanking her to stop. "Weiss. I must admit, I was under the impression that you hadn't gotten my message, so I am pleasantly surprised to find you waiting for me."

"Winter, what are you _doing_ here? What message?" Weiss exclaimed, waving a hand at their surroundings.

"So you didn't receive it. I see." Winter waited for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "What, that's it? I would have at least expected an 'It's so good to see you, sister!' out of you. I can't say this is any more professional, though..."

"Sister?!"

"No, I am glad to see you! This is just… unexpected," Weiss stammered, clearly doing her best to collect herself. "I lost my scroll in a combat mission last month, and I haven't had the time to redo all of my contacts yet. So, why exactly are you here?"

"Classified."

"Oh. Right. Um… How long are you staying, then?"

"Classified." Weiss frowned, eliciting a sigh from Winter. "I was hoping you had simply failed to respond, Weiss. I didn't intend to surprise you. How have you been?"

Weiss opened her mouth then closed it again, and Ruby and Yang exchanged a worried glance behind her back. Yang stepped forwards to say something, but Weiss held her back. She shook her head curtly, then turned back to her sister. "I've been fine, thank you."

Winter's gaze narrowed, but she didn't press further. "And you must be Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose. I've heard stories about you both."

Ruby wilted as Winter turned to scrutinize her, half a dozen different awful stories Weiss could have told her sister springing to mind. "I bet they weren't all that great, huh?" she muttered, not meeting Winter's eyes.

"It's been an… interesting year," Weiss offered.

Yang rested a comforting hand on her shoulder and beamed at Winter. "Nice to meet you, Winter!" she said. "Weiss told me _all_ about you."

For the first time since landing, Winter gave them a genuine smile. "And my sister has droned on and on about her best friend. I wish to thank you for taking an interest in my sister."

"Hey, it's the least I can do. Weiss' been there for me just as much as I have for her, so it's no big deal." Yang shot Weiss a sunny smile, which was returned by the heiress.

"Well, I have business with the general and your headmaster. But, seeing as I'm early, why don't you take me to your quarters?" Winter asked. Ruby clenched her fists at the mention of Ozpin, but fought her anger down. _Now's not the time to worry about any of that._

"Really?"

"Yes, I wish to inspect them to see if they are up to my personal standards."

"Of course. Just so you know, the bunk beds have gotten _much_ safer ever since I convinced Ruby to let me replace them," Weiss said with a hint of pride.

"Bunk beds?" Winter echoed as she started to walk, gesturing for her sister to follow.

Ruby and Yang hung back to let them go ahead. "So, what did ya think of her, Rubes?"

"She's like Weiss was at the beginning of Beacon," she muttered. "Only scarier. I can just picture her using that stupid leadership book Weiss has." They both shuddered at the thought.

"God, I'm so glad she got over that." Yang motioned forwards, and they started after Weiss. "Remember when she kept trying to make us do that stupid history stuff on a Saturday and I blew up at her? Good thing she changed after that, I was about ready to punch her..."

That day stood clear in Ruby's memory; without thinking, she said, "Yeah, but I think she went and cried in the library after that..."

Yang stopped short and stared at her. "What?"

"You didn't know that?"

"No, of course not!" she cried indignantly. "I made her cry? And she told you but not me?"

Ruby didn't know what to say. _No, Weiss didn't tell me, Neo showed me. Damn, I screwed up. Uh…_ Unable to come up with a good lie, she had no choice but to say, "After she ran off, Professor Port found her and that's when he gave her that leadership talk she mentions sometimes."

Shock and hurt flickered through Yang's lilac eyes. Before she could respond, there was a loud crash and a shriek from up ahead. Yang shot her a look that clearly said, "We're going to talk about this later," then they ran towards the commotion.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you, _Ice Queen._ "

Winter threw a hand up. "Halt!" The soldiers around her lowered their blasters as Qrow rose to his feet with a low chuckle.

"Qrow Branwen!" Weiss angrily strode in front of her sister and glared at Ruby's uncle. "I don't know why you're here, but we're taking _my_ sister to see WBYR's dorms where, might I remind you, _you're not welcome._ "

"Wonderful, now there are two of them," Qrow slurred, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"How do you know Qrow?" Winter asked in surprise.

Weiss tossed a look back over her shoulder. "Oh, Qrow and I ran into each other last November in Vale. Trust me, he was just as drunk then as he is right now. Besides, he's Ruby and Yang's uncle."

Her sister's brow furrowed. "But if he's their uncle, why isn't he welcome in your dorm?"

"That's a _long_ story." Weiss' stance hardened. "I may not have expected you, but there's no way I'm going to let a drunk idiot stop me from showing you around."

Behind her back, Winter wore a strange expression. "...Weiss?"

"Letting Weiss fight your battles, how brave of you. I guess that special ranking of yours doesn't actually mean much, huh?" Qrow chuckled as both Schnees bristled. "Or does combat training not mean anything anymore now that Ol' Ironwood turned his back on Ozpin."

 _Ruby, don't do something reckless…_

 _This isn't reckless, Neo. This is protecting my team._

"Qrow."

Petals drifted away on the breeze, blowing alongside her cloak. Red aura tinted her eyes, and she stood calmly between her uncle, Weiss, and Winter. Somewhere in the crowd that had started to assemble, someone shouted, "It's the Black Rose!"

"Who said that?" Yang yelled back, a hint of aura around her hair as she turned to the crowd. "If anyone calls my little sis that again, I swear to god I'll punch them halfway to Vacuo!"

"Weiss, what's going on?" Winter asked urgently.

Shaking her head and ignoring her, Weiss hissed, "Ruby, don't do this again..."

"Get out of the way, Ruby. This is between me and Winter," Qrow growled, stalking forwards.

Ruby stood her ground. "You're drunk, Qrow. Don't make me disarm you like last time."

"Yeah, that's nice, _Violet_. Why don't you get my niece the hell out of the way?"

Yang and Weiss both started as Ruby flinched but stood her ground. "I've told you this before, Qrow. This is me and you're just gonna have to accept that. Violet is more like family to me than you've been for a while, so get out of our way."

The fight went out of Qrow's face, but as he looked around at the crowd, a grim determination seized him. Winter drew her sword and yelled as Qrow leaped at her, but his blow never reached her head.

Ruby dissipated into a cloud of petals. She collided with Qrow and burst into thirds, swirling around him to lift him into the air. Ten feet above the ground, she reformed above Qrow. Betrayal filled his gaze, but his scythe hung loosely at his side – _he won't attack me, even now._ With ease, she snatched his blade away and kicked him back to earth.

Qrow bounced against the courtyard flagstones, his aura flashing around his body. Gracefully landing, Ruby strode forwards and unleashed the scythe. Three months ago, holding the weapon had driven her to tears. Now, though, she relished the nostalgic familiarity as she remembered Crescent Rose. She stopped before him and spun the scythe around her body, resting the tip against the ground. "I told you, get out of our way. Come back sober if you want to fight."

"Miss Rose! What do you think you're doing!?" Ruby's muscles seized and she was frozen in place by a furious Glynda. The deputy headmistress stalked over and snatched the scythe out of her grasp.

"Miss Goodwitch, Qrow was drunk and instigating a conflict with my sister. Ruby and I got in between them, and she disarmed him when he tried to attack her," Weiss said, meeting Glynda's glare easily as she clasped her hands behind her back.

"Is that true, Qrow?" He tried to reach for his flask, but Glynda flicked her crop and it flew out of his hands.

"Yep, Schnee here and I were just having a little _reunion_ , so to speak..."

"Unbelievable. I'm taking you to Ozpin. Can you walk or do I need to carry you there?" she asked, contempt dripping from her tone. Qrow glowered at her and climbed to his feet, and she turned her attention to Winter. "Winter, it's good to see you. Do you want to come with us now?"

Winter calmed her face and shook her head. "I was going to visit with Weiss and her team's dorm first – I have leave from the general. Do you require my presence?"

"To deal with him? No." Her eyes softened, and she said, "I think you'll find Team WBYR has been quite extraordinary under extreme circumstances, Winter. Your sister has been doing an exemplary job as team leader." Grabbing Qrow's sleeve, she pulled him away toward Ozpin's office, scolding him all the while.

Weiss blinked at the unexpected compliment, a light blush rising to her cheeks. "High praise from Glynda," Winter said, waving her soldiers off. "You've changed, Weiss. Come, let me see whether your team is as good as she says while you explain to me _what on Remnant_ just happened."

"O-of course! So, basically..."

Ruby let the sisters get ahead again, sighing as Yang hugged her and guided her towards the school. "He's been drinking more recently, hasn't he?"

"Yeah." They entered the main hall. "Look, Rubes, I gotta go meet Blake in the library so we can go to the rally planning meeting. Do you want to talk about this, or is it okay if I go?"

"You can go, I'll talk to Weiss and Violet about it." Already she could feel Neo looking through her memories and sending her questions across their bond. _I'm fine, be ready for Weiss and Winter to show up at the dorm though._

Yang nodded, shadows crossing her face as she stepped under one of the grand archways. "I hate seeing you and Uncle Qrow like this, Ruby. I wish you could just make up so everything could just go back to normal."

Ruby gave her sister a sad smile, watching as she turned away and disappeared into the school. "Yeah. So do I."

* * *

"This is a peaceful protest! There will be _no_ violence!" Lilianne Heath exclaimed, slamming her fists down on the table. " _I_ am the leader of the Union for Faunus Equality, and as the organizer of this protest you're going to have to abide by that!"

The room burst into argument. Blake sighed and sank lower in her seat, squeezing Yang's hand as her partner groaned. _Can't we just agree on one thing?_

A wide array of Faunus from civil rights organizations across Remnant had gathered in a hotel to discuss the upcoming protest. The conference room was filled with tables; the most respected faunus and leaders of major organizations (including Ghira and Kali) had a seat at a long table up front, and the rest were split up by kingdom. At Ghira's request, Blake and Yang were seated with the Menagerie delegation, some fifty people who paled in comparison to the sheer numbers put up by the kingdoms.

"They're not giving us _human_ security, let alone faunus security!" the leader of an Atlas organization yelled. He was a tiger faunus, and thick stripes marked the length of his body. "Who knows what the damn robots will do?"

"We understand your concerns, Lilianne, but there will be more than three hundred thousand faunus at this march! What do the academies give us? A handful of C-list hunters and students!" That was an avian faunus, with colorful wings sprouting from their back.

"Welp, that's us," Yang whispered to Blake, who was too on edge to laugh back.

"There will be no arms!" Lilianna shouted back. "Are we _asking_ for the Atlasian military to uphold their reputation of beating and shooting our people to death?"

"The robots aren't going to defend us! What happens when the humans show up and decide to do their own justice, huh?" an aquatic faunus yelled.

"SILENCE!" The entire room fell into a respectful silence as Ghira rose to his feet. "As the chieftan of Menagerie and founder of the White Fang, hear this. We _all_ understood the conditions of this protest before we signed up: we are here to peacefully protest the death of Tukson Lupa and so many others during the Vytal Tournament finals. Nothing more, nothing less."

"And what do you know of protesting?" The speaker was a Mistrali wolf faunus, who climbed on top of a table. Murmurs went through the assembled crowd as he cleared his throat. "With all due respect to Mr. Belladonna, he's been sitting pretty in Menagerie for years! We've protested peacefully before, and it doesn't work! Do we want to put ourselves at Atlas' mercy while they work our kin to death in their dust mines?"

"This is one of our biggest protests _ever_!" a Valean faunus called out. "We can overpower them if they try anything, we don't need weapons when we have teeth and claws!"

A murmur of assent filtered through the air, but the wolf faunus wasn't done. "And how do we know Mr. Belladonna isn't working for Atlas? His daughter is partners with a _Schnee_ , after all-"

 _That's too far._ Yang moved to get up, but Blake stopped her. Climbing to her feet, she raised her voice and said, "Weiss Schnee is _not_ her father! She's saved my life, and I couldn't ask for a better leader. And you know what? You all saw the video, didn't you? I would give my life for the faunus! My _team_ of three humans are missing the Vytal festival to defend _our_ protest, and Weiss Schnee is our leader!"

"Who cares? She's still a Schnee!" somebody else shouted, and the room dissolved into chaos once more. Blake caught her parent's eyes, meeting Kali's proud smile as Ghira sat down once more and rested his head in his hands.

A door slammed open, and everyone turned to look at a rabbit faunus as she sprinted to the head table. "Lilianne, the White Fang is here!"

"What?!" Blake's mind went blank as Lilianne got to her feet.

The messenger had come from a side door – now the massive double doors swung open to reveal a woman with decorated ears and a black dress marked by a red and gold cape. Behind her, six commanders filed in, followed by a sea of people wearing gray masks. She recognized them all but, one of the commanders was far too familiar. Blake's breath came faster and faster as she stared at his horns and outfit, one she knew all too well. "No..."

 _Adam Taurus._

"Blake, calm down," Yang hissed, pulling her into a hug. "What's wrong?"

"Adam is _here_."

"Oh. _Oh."_ Blake yanked her back into her seat before her temper could explode.

"Not here, Yang. You saw what they think of us right now, we _can't_ stoke that fire."

"But-"

Blake's ears were flat against her head, and she didn't take her eyes off of her former partner. "I'll be _fine_."

"Sienna Khan, what is the meaning of this?" Lilianne asked, getting to her feet.

Sienna walked into the room with regal confidence and a predatory gaze. "Lilianne Heath, how audacious of you to start your march meeting without your biggest group. I do believe you'll need to make more room at that table for me and my commanders.

"We did not invite terrorists to this peaceful march," the tiger faunus growled as Sienna stalked up to him and lifted his chin up with two fingers.

"Oh, Signus, we're here in peace, of course. Otherwise, I would be leading this march, and our kind wouldn't be _sitting around barking at each other like a bunch of animals!_ " The hubbub in the room died at the Fang high leader's roar, all eyes on her now. "My Fang does not need an _invitation_. We do what is right for the faunus, and today that means joining your protest."

"And if we refuse?" a dog faunus at the main table asked.

Sienna sneered at him. "More than half of our organization is currently in Vale. Right now, we double your current numbers. If you refuse us, there will be no protest – there will be a riot. Tukson was one of my finest men, so it would be a shame if all this careful preparation in his honor were to go awry."

Lilianne met her gaze for a moment, then acquiesced. "The room is divided by kingdoms plus Menagerie. You may choose three lieutenants to join you at the main table. Please instruct your men to split themselves up accordingly."

The room burst into frantic discussion as row after row of White Fang members filtered into the conference room and took their seats. Blake and Yang exchanged a look of trepidation, sliding closer together as people began to sit in their section. "Who was that?"

"Sienna Khan, she took over the White Fang after Dad stepped down." Blake pointed up at the main table, where Sienna and her lieutenants were sitting down. "To her left are Corsac and Fennec Albain, who run the Menagerie branch of the White Fang. Adam is next to them-"

"The one with the horns?" Yang asked, her voice dangerously low and eyes burning red.

"Look, if I'm staying calm that means you have to be calm too," she snapped, squeezing her hand tighter. "I don't know why he's here, but there's nothing he can do with hundreds of other faunus in the room. There are lots of people here who hate me and our team for being a Belladonna partnered to a Schnee, and blowing up at a highly regarded leader of the biggest rights organizations is probably the worst thing we can do right now."

Yang took a deep breath and released her hand. "Fine, but I _will_ make him hurt for what he did to you."

"Blake?"

Blake looked up, and her jaw dropped. Before her stood a girl with long hair that naturally curled up and darker patches across her skin. "Illia?" Illia met her gaze for a moment, then looked away and started to leave. "Wait, don't go!"

Scowling, she spun back around. "What do you want?"

"What do _I_ want? Sit down and talk to me! You can't just say hi then walk away!" Illia's spots started to turn red, and her ears curled slightly. "Please? You haven't talked to me in over a year and I still don't know why."

"Why are you with a human here?" Illia snapped, pointing at Yang.

Yang shot Blake a look then got to her feet. "Our team is in charge of protecting this protests. Yang Xiao Long, I'm Blake's partner and girlfriend." She offered Illia her hand.

"G-girlfriend?" Illia stammered, staring at Yang's hand. Her skin rapidly changed colors: pink, then light green, then red, then deep blue, then back to normal. "I- I have to go."

"Illia, wait!" Blake called, but the other girl was already halfway across the room. "What-"

Staring off into the distance, Yang asked, "Is it just me, or was that like watching one of those screen savers as it changes colors?"

Despite herself, she laughed, pulling her girlfriend back into her seat. "I just totally screwed that up, didn't I?"

"Maybe a little bit. She's a chameleon faunus?"

"Yeah. We used to be best friends, and then Adam happened," Blake said.

Yang made a choked noise, and she cocked her head. "What, why are you looking at me like that?"

"What was that noise for?"

"Oh, she obviously has a crush on you," Yang said, crossing her arms behind her head. "I mean, c'mon, she turned pink when I said I was your girlfriend, plus you stopped being friends after you and Adam, well, y'know-"

"What do you mean, she has a crush on me?" Blake asked, not entirely sure she was hearing her properly.

Yang snorted. "Oh, come on, Blake. We all know you're absolutely gorgeous, and _I_ know that you're a lesbian even if you didn't for a long time."

 _Illia has a crush… on me? That would actually_ _make a lot of sense, but…_ "How did I never notice that?"

"Because you're clueless and refuse to admit it." Yang flicked her forehead as she blushed. "It's okay, you're my adorably clueless lesbian, so don't worry about it. I'll just have to woo you with the power of perception."

Leaning against Yang, she hummed and closed her eyes. "I think it's working."

Then the moment of peace was gone, and the room descended into chaos once again.

* * *

"Ozpin!"

Glynda, Ironwood, Qrow, and Ozpin stopped talking mid-conversation as Winter stomped out of the elevator. Turning to her, James stiffened his back and said, "Winter, so nice of you to join us."

The fact that Winter did nothing more than give him a curt nod scared the other adults slightly. "Would you care to explain what my sister has just told me about her time at your academy?"

"So Weiss did tell you." Ozpin rested his hands on his cane. "I must admit, I would have hoped we could have gotten the chance to tell you first because I'm afraid that Miss Schnee is not privy to the entire story."

"Hoped? She almost _died_ on a _training mission!_ "

"Ice Queen." Qrow was slumped in a chair against the wall and didn't flinch under her burning glare. "How much do you know about my father's semblance?"

Winter bit back her surprise. "Enough."

"Well, believe it or not, he actually used it once..."

Winter rocked on her heels as disturbing bits and pieces of the story Weiss hadn't told her came in. Once the other adults had finished explaining, she said, "That is… _quite_ a lot to take in. And my sister is at the center of this?"

"Effectively, yes." Ozpin bowed his head, staring down at his coffee cup. "Winter, the reason we so urgently need to talk today is not, in fact, related to Team WBYR but their friends Team JNPR."

"Amber's condition is getting worse, Winter," Glynda said, her expression downcast. "We aren't sure how much longer she'll make it, even with the tech that's keeping her alive."

Ironwood nodded. "The intel I wouldn't share with you is this – the infiltrator of the Vale CCT in January was both Amber's attacker and the fall maiden. There's no other way around it."

"And I've seen what's out there, Winter. The things she's made… The Grimm are getting closer to the walls every day. Something's coming to a boiling point, and we're running out of time." Qrow eyed Glynda, who tauntingly waved his flask at him.

"No."

"So what can we do?" Winter asked.

Ozpin met her gaze straight on. "It is time for us to choose a new guardian."

* * *

 **[A/N] Not much to say this week besides I love all of you and you're amazing :)**

 **(Plus, if you like Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name), I posted a new sidefic – go check it out!)**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 3/10/18**


	25. V3 - Maiden

Volume Three, Chapter Five: Maiden

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 3/10/18

* * *

"He knows."

Rain cascaded down the rose-tinted window of the ice cream parlor. The light was dim, mood lighting perhaps – the low buzz of conversation was accompanied by a sultry melody echoing from a speaker behind the counter. Neo's neapolitan and Raven's strawberry sat untouched on the table before them, the girl too lost in her own world to focus much on anything at all.

"Augustus?" Raven asked, her voice hushed. When Neo nodded, her gaze darkened and the flimsy plastic spoon snapped in her embrace. "Did he hurt you?"

She shrugged. "Not much."

The downpour thickened – anguish grew across from her until Raven couldn't take it anymore. "What did he-"

"Do you regret it?"

The mist started at Neo's fingertips as she rested them on the edge of her bowl. Illusions swirled down her arm, twisting in illogical patterns around her white sleeve. Raven stared at her. "Regret what?"

"Not killing me while you had the chance." Neo ran her other hand along her sleeve, her eyes murky brown as the mist crept up her body and expanded away from it. "Do you regret it, letting Starling keep me alive? Letting my life become _this_?

Raven's face broke. She reached across the table to take Neo's hand, but she flinched away and Raven recoiled like a struck animal. "Neo..."

The illusions spun faster. "Tell me."

"I will _never_ regret keeping you alive." Her eyes erupted into blue flame, unearthly flame – Neo's heart wrenched at the unsettling sight, but she held her gaze. "You are my daughter, Neo. I love you, no matter what."

Neo drew her knife, the knife Starling had given her so many years ago. The leather was faded and worn, gore clinging to the seams from years of killing and violence. "Even after everything I've done?"

"I-"

"I don't feel anything when I kill anymore." The fourteen-year-old's tone was flat. "You used to hold my hair back when I threw up, and then you never were there to hold it back. I still threw up every time when I was with Silas, and you were never there."

The blue flame intensified, blue aura surrounding her body. "I wanted to be there for you. I wanted to kill them. I wanted to save you."

Neo's eyes were baleful. "If you were one of them, you wouldn't be my mom anymore."

Raven looked as though somebody had struck her, the fire dimmed before coming back with a vengeance. " _Nothing_ could stop me from-"

"Like how nothing could have stopped you from being Yang's mom, right?" she spat bitterly.

"I PROMISED TAI!" The parlor fell silent as Raven erupted to her feet, fire burning around her body. "I PROMISED HIM I WOULD STAY AWAY, JUST LIKE I PROMISED YOU I WOULDN'T KILL THEM!"

"Why? Why would you let him take her away? You could have been there for someone! Why weren't you there for her? Why didn't you ignore him? WHY DIDN'T YOU IGNORE ME?"

A shop manager sprinted towards them, yelling something neither of them heard. Raven shrieked in fury and spun to face the man, incinerating him with a blast of fire that exploded against the far wall. The fire alarm went off, sprinklers raining down on the restaurant as people screamed and ran for the exit. Electricity spiraled around her body as she rose into the air, the power wild and uncontrollable as it built around her body. The pressure rose and the entire bank of windows shattered outwards, letting the wind howl into the building.

"MOM!" Neo shrieked as she began to glow. In an instant, the power escaped Raven's body and she slumped to the ground. Leaping out of the booth, she ran to her side.

Raven's breath came in deep gasps, eyes shimmering as she pressed her forehead to the ground. "This is why," she whispered.

Pressing her hand over Raven's, she breathed, "What just happened?"

"I can't control it. Lilia was weak, too weak. I did everything I could to help her, I trained her, I cared for her, and it _didn't work_!" Raven slammed her other fist against the ground, and the marble cracked under the force of her aura-powered strike. "She trusted me, she came to me for help, and I killed her because _I_ know it's more merciful to die than to live enslaved by a power you can't control!"

"Lilia?" Neo shook her head, desperately trying to catch the older woman's glance as she turned away. "Who did you kill? What power is this? I don't understand!"

"It doesn't matter who she was to me now. She's dead. The weak die and the strong survive, that's how the world works." Raven's tears evaporated as the blue flame reformed around her eyes.

"But-"

Raven pulled away from Neo, letting the girl's hand slide away. The Nevermore Queen rose to her feet. Power rippled across her body in barely controlled waves and arced out randomly; she watched Raven back away in fear.

"You want to know what happened? This bond my father forced on you is _illegal_ , punishable by _death._ Powerful people have been trying to kill you or take it for themselves your entire life. Tai thought I was on a training trip while I was busy stopping assassination attempts again my family daily because _I love you too much to kill you_! When they came for Tai and Yang, I chose to protect them, and the only way I could do that was to leave. That made Qrow fall apart of course; he never was an alcoholic before my _darling_ father disowned him. Of course, since that fight was over you, he still wants to kill you, so I've been keeping him away from you for the past six years!"

Raven's body shook violently as she stumbled against the counter. Neo started to cry. It was all too much, and she couldn't hold her emotions in any longer.

"The last thing my father ever said to me was if I didn't give Tai and Yang another chance, I would regret it for the rest of my life." Raven's voice took on a deathly calm. "I hadn't left the camp in a week because we couldn't afford to be unguarded, but I left that night even though I knew the dangers. So, I portaled to Tai, who just happened to be fucking Summer in our bed. I lost control and attacked them, and found out they had been at it for months. We tore up the house, then suddenly we were in Yang's room. I missed a swing and cut her bed in half. If she had been sleeping, if she hadn't pulled herself into the corner, I would have killed my own daughter."

"So you promised him you would stay away? How can you-"

"I left to keep them safe!" Raven screamed, clenching her fists as she whipped around to face Neo. " _This_ is why. Whenever people get to close to me, _they get hurt_ because _I_ am _WEAK!_ Lilia was one of my closest friends, and she's dead because I wasn't strong enough to train her! Father is dead because I wasn't strong enough to protect him. Qrow and Yang and Tai are gone because of _me_. Summer was my best friend, and now she's dead and she's never coming back!"

"None of that is your fault!" Neo staggered to her feet, wiping her eyes and kicking her dagger away. "It's mine!"

"Tha-"

"Shut up!" Ripping her soaked hair out of her face, she braced her back against the biting wind. "They came after me! You and Qrow fought over me! Starling is dead because of me!"

Raven shook her head. "You were _six_!"

"Why didn't you kill me?!"

"Because I love you! Because you are my daughter!"

"So why are you letting me live like this?" Neo sobbed. "Why did you let Starling make me into this- this- into a murderer?! A monster! You just said it's better to die than live a slave, so why won't you kill me?!"

Their eyes met through the dark haze burning in the air. As the world flickered, Raven slowly drew her sword. Blue fire ran down the blade as if doused with kerosene. Neo held herself tall, heat burning the side of her neck. Everything blurred together – she didn't know what to feel, how to feel, only grateful that Raven was there with her at the end.

"I can't." The blade wavered and fell to the ground and her shoulders slumped. Metal clattered against the tile, echoing hollowly in Neo's ears. A choked cry escaped Raven's throat; Neo swayed as hardened gauntlets pressed against her scarred back, unable to move, to think, to be beyond her adoptive mother's arms.

"Why? Why won't you kill me?"

Shaking, Raven whispered, "Because I love you."

 _"Because you and the tribe are all I have left."_

* * *

 _That was the second to last time I_ _ever_ _saw Raven before I met you._

* * *

"Hi Mom."

A gentle breeze swept across the tranquil cliff. Grass blew towards the edge, a sea of emerald bending towards the deep forest below. Birds took flight from a nearby tree, winging off into the sunset and brushing dusk to the sky. Ruby took a deep breath as Neo pulled her closer, resting her head on her shoulder. The other girl was free of disguises, wearing a simple white sundress with roses that Yang had let her borrow. _Thus kindly I scatter…_

 _It's beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here._

 _No, thank you for coming with me._ Sighing, she said, "Sorry I haven't come by in a while. Things have been, well, kind of a mess really. I meant to talk to you more when we buried Crescent last winter, but…" Her eyes flickered to the smaller gravestone over to the side, which she had already paid her respects to.

"Well, me and Blake are friends now! We fought a lot and it was really messy, but it all worked out in the end. Weiss was awesome, she totally kept us together, plus Yang and Blake are dating too! Pyrrha's good too, she's still my best friend, but Jaune still doesn't like talking to me very much…" Ruby trailed off as she realized what she had been about to say. _What can I say to her about Qrow and all that?_

 _Just… say what you need to say._ Neo stared ahead stoically, and Ruby knew just why; they were both shaken from the memory Neo had revealed the night before.

"I- I know, about you and Dad. And I don't blame you! I mean, I- I really love Aunt Raven, Mom. She's prickly like Qrow, but I know she's actually really sweet, and she takes us out to dinner and stuff! I just..." She took a moment to collect her thoughts. "I wish you guys hadn't made her stay away. You and dad, I mean. I really want to tell Yang, about everything. No, it's not even that – I want _her_ to be the one who get to go out with Raven! 'Cause now with the bond and the secret and everything, I can't, so now Yang's been kinda distant with me and I can't be around Qrow anymore. I just… I'm happy, but I just wish things could be different, I guess."

Neo snuggled tighter against her, and Ruby sent her a wash of gratitude. If she could find a flicker of life in the cold granite, she could have sworn Summer was hugging her too.

"Yeah… Anyways, I wanted you to meet Neo." Ruby pulled out of Neo's hug so she could see her face. Her rosy cheeks and white eyes reflected the sunset, pale purples and husky orange rising and falling with the wind. Ruby's heart soared; she took Neo's hands and said, "Well, I guess you already know her, but she was eight the last time you saw her so it doesn't count. I know we were still a mess back in winter, but I get her now. She's funny and weird and shy, plus she makes chocolate chip cookies that are almost as good as yours! I guess, um..."

Ruby paused, then put her arm around Neo's waist. Smiling warmly at the engraved rose, she said, "I love her, Mom. And I think if you were here with me, you'd love her too."

* * *

 _I think Raven is a maiden._

Neo started as Ruby collapsed into her stadium chair beside her, bearing a full tray of food for them to share. Reaching over to grab a hamburger, she took a big bite out of her food. _You do?_

 _Hey! Weiss yells at me when I talk with my mouth full, why do you get to do it?_

 _Really? Well, first of all, we're_ thinking, _dumbass. That's not talking, nobody can hear us._ Second, _you're eating too!_

 _Shh, that's not important_ , Ruby said as she threw another handful of french fries into her mouth.

 _Dork. Seriously though, you think Mom is a maiden?_

The Amity Colisseum soared high into the blue June sky. Built on a gargantuan chunk of gravity dust, the stadium rose high over Vale's bay in a glorious achievement of science and technology. Tens of thousands of spectators filled the stands, bringing the base volume of the arena to a roar and coating the seats in a rainbow of colors. Below, a gray covering concealed the battlefield, shimmering slightly as a forcefield shielded off the sky. On Ruby's other side, Weiss and Yang chattered happily. Blake was sleeping contentedly on Yang's far shoulder, her ears twitching as Yang gently stroked them.

Ignoring the rest of Team WBYR, Ruby shifted closer to Neo and grabbed her soda. _Well, I was thinking about the memory…_

 _I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shown you right be-_

 _Stop it._ Ruby's eyes widened as she realized what she had just thought, and she slammed down her controls on the bond before the green light could catch Neo's body. _I'm sorry, that wasn't supposed to be a command or anything!_

Neo hesitated for a moment, her discomfort obvious. _It's not your fault. You should be able to tell me to stop it without the bond interfering._

 _But-_

 _Drop it._ Neo's voice was dangerous, and Ruby dropped her gaze. She had been trying so hard for months to never order her to do anything, yet even the smallest of things was enough to remind them that Ruby was _always_ in control. Distance came like a chasm between them in those moments. Ruby felt it in her soul.

 _Neo, I asked you to show me your past. That hasn't changed since I got out of the coma. It means a lot to me that you showed me your worst me-_

 _Not the worst._ Neo's tone was clipped, blunt; she ripped another bite from her hamburger and stared at the far side of the stands. _You haven't seen the worst one yet._

The other girl was holding her memory tight to her aura, but Ruby still could glimpse her feelings: _Is it the last time you saw Raven with them?_

She nodded. _I- I'll show you soon, I promise. Augustine died three days after that memory-_

 _He did?! Wait, so this was all right before you met Roman?_

 _Yeah. It's- It got worse. It got so much worse, those last days. I don't want to talk about it right now._

Ruby took a long sip from her soda, reaching across her body to touch Neo's arm with her other hand. _Of cou_ _rse you don't have to. You know I'm here for you-_

 _I know that, Rose._

 _Oh. That's good, then._

 _Yeah._

There was no silence – the crowd filled the gap as they were left to their own thoughts. As much as Ruby tried to push it down, she couldn't ignore the burning question left unasked.

 _You really wanted to die? You wanted your own mom to kill you?_

 _Yeah._

There was nothing she had to say to that. The idea of losing Neo sent shivers running down her back. She had started to notice that she _couldn't_ remember what it was like being unbonded – even the strongest of her pre-Neo memories still had that sensation of presence as if she had been by her side all the times she had been so utterly alone.

Subdued, Neo asked, _So why do you think Mom is a maiden?_

 _Well, Ozpin_ _told us that maidens are magical, right? Your mom's semblance definitely isn't whatever she did then, but we know she was still able to use it. Besides, on top of that,_ _she said she got it be killing somebody named Lilia? Isn't that how aura bonds are passed down?_

 _Shit, that makes sense._ _S_ he laughed, bumping into Weiss as Neo scrutinized her. _Since when are you so observant?_

 _When it's about you._

 _Oh, shut up. You're probably right, you know. I wonder whether Ozpin knows or not, since Qrow probably does._

Leaning back in her seat, Ruby looked out over the stadium. _Probably, right? He bonded them, didn't he, so he should know where they are or something._

 _I mean,_ _didn't Qrow say the one Glynda was crying about was traveling alone? I wouldn't put it past that manipulative fuckhole to not care enough to keep tabs._

Ruby snickered again, which finally got Weiss' attention. Irritably, she turned to her and said, "What on earth is so funny that you keep poking me with your bony elbow?"

 _Hey Ice Queen, I'll have you know my little Rose has_ fantastic _elbows,_ Neo drawled as she took a long drink from Ruby's soda.

Rolling her eyes and blushing at Neo, Ruby mumbled, "It's, um, we-" _Help!_

 _You're such a terrible liar. Say it was an inside joke or something._

"It was an inside joke or something?" Ruby squeaked, wilting under one of Weiss' incredulous expressions.

After a moment, Weiss shook her head and turned away. "Only you, Ruby," she muttered before turning back to Yang.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

 _I'm gonna ask Raven the next time we see her._ Neo ate the last of her burger and dropped the wrapper back onto the tray, crossing her arms tight against her chest. _I don't know if Qrow and Ozpin know but I'm sure as hell not going to be the one to tell them._

 _Yeah, me neither._

A finger poked Ruby's shoulder, and she turned to see Yang and Weiss both staring at her. "What?"

"Well, we were going to watch Team JNPR fight as a team but so far you've just been ignoring us and playing your little staring game with Violet," Weiss said, a light frown adorning her face as she recrossed her legs.

Carefully keeping Blake balanced on her shoulder, Yang leaned forwards and said, "C'mon sis, aren't you hyped? Tournaments! Weapons! This is totally your thing, you should be more enthusiastic!"

Ruby's mind immediately jumped to Crescent's grave beside her mother's; the visit from earlier in the day was still fresh on her mind. That, and Neo's memory which she couldn't quite erase from her mind. Realizing her sister was waiting for her to talk, she said, "Um, yeah, sure. Go Team JNPR?"

Yang's smile wavered, but she pushed Ruby lightly before falling back into her seat. "See? That's the spirit."

"Look, Ruby, it's fine if you don't want to talk, but can you please look just a little bit less like someone killed Zwei?" Weiss said, the thinly veiled strain on her voice eliciting a sigh from Yang.

Ruby picked the tray off her lap and slid it under her chair. She knew it was a turn of phrase, but now that she was thinking about it… _Nope, nobody is ever going to touch my puppy!_ Still, though… "I just want the match to start already! Everybody knows Pyrrha's gonna kick their butts, so what's the point of waiting around?"

Suddenly, victorious music blasted though the stadium as the massive holoscreens sprung to life. The crowd went wild and Yang shot Ruby an "I told you so" look as the announcer said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first round of this year's Vytal Tournament!"

Neo nudged her with her shoulder; Ruby could hardly remember the last time she had seen Neo's eyes pure pink. _Here we go!_

Maybe Neo's enthusiasm was wearing off on her because she found her cheering alongside the rest of her team. "Go Team JNPR! Go Pyrrha!"

 _You can do it!_

* * *

"Alright, so do we all remember the plan?" Jaune asked.

Nora scoffed as she leaned further into the huddle. "Of _course_ we know the plan, silly! All of you guys get them into one place, then _I_ break their legs!"

"Nora, I'm pretty sure that's not the plan," Ren said calmly, pulling her out of the center of the huddle.

Worry crept into Jaune's expression as if he wasn't entirely sure whether Nora had been joking or not. Feeling her boyfriend's distress, Pyrrha said, "We know the plan, Jaune. We'll be fine, there's no need to worry."

"Yeah. Okay then, Team JNPR on three!" Jaune exclaimed, straightening his shoulders. "One, two, three!"

"Team JNPR!"

Pyrrha grinned as they broke off and walked to the weapons table as a team. Her usual pre-tournament anxiety had been less, this time, and she was willing to bet Jaune, Ren, and Nora had something to do with it. _Who knows, maybe this one will actually be fun for once?_

Ignoring her buzzing scroll, she tossed it onto the table. Her bronze spear and shield gleamed in the lowlight, magnetic currents warping around the metal. Holding out her hand, she coaxed her weapons to her hand, her aura rushing with the exhilarating pressure of using her semblance. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. _I am Pyrrha Nikos. I am the best fighter of my generation._

 _I will not lose._

Jaune's hand rested on her shoulder. Crocea Mors rested at his hip; he stood with a fighting poise he had utterly lacked six months ago. _He's come so far since we started training…_ Their eyes met, and he jerked his head at the table, where her scroll had stopped shaking. "That was your parents again?"

"They make the same call before every match. It's always 'remember what's at stake, remember your training.'" She watched her scroll, trying to keep her expression as unreadable as possible. "You've met my parents, you know what they're like. I learned years ago to avoid their calls day-of to keep a level head."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know," Jaune murmured, stepping closer to her after shooting Ren and Nora a furtive glance. "It's not too late for us to forfeit the match."

She gave him a sad smile. "Thank you, Jaune, but that's never been a choice I've had. If I want to stay her with you, at Beacon, I have to win this tournament. Besides, I'm just happy to be here with you."

"I just hate seeing you upset like this," he said, looking down and clenching his other fist.

Pyrrha leaned forwards and kissed his cheek. "In my entire life, I've never been happier than this spring. I think we can make it through this, alright? I'll be fine, I am a prodigy, after all." There was a bitter twist to the end of her words, but she covered it up with a warm smile.

Jaune looked like he wanted to push for a moment, but shook his head in amazement instead. "How did I manage to end up on the same team as you again?"

Her eyes sparkled as she pulled his chest to hers, their forms silhouetted in the impossibly bright entrance to the stadium. "I think I almost impaled you to a tree with my spear."

"Yeah, it's a good thing your aim is so good," Jaune said, half laughing as he swept her back and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"C'mon, lovebirds!" Nora waved them over. She and Ren stood by the entrance, spinning Magnhild against her palm. "Let's go kick some butt!"

They broke apart, and Pyrrha slipped their hands together. "What do you say, team leader? Are we ready?"

Jaune looked to each of his teammates in turn, then nodded. "Let's go!"

"And now, hailing from Beacon Academy and a favorite to win this tournament, please welcome TEAM JNPR!"

The crowd exploded as JNPR walked out onto the covered battlefield. Pyrrha held her head high against the brilliant lights, ignoring the holoscreens plastering her face across the stadium. This was her arena – _she_ was the master, she was the favorite, and she would keep her calm at all costs.

 _Mother and Father are watching right now._ _By all rights, I should be thanking them for letting me come to Beacon and actually make friends. No, all of Mistral is watching right now._

"This is… just wow," Jaune said, staring up at his surroundings in awe. "How do you deal with this?"

Pyrrha's gaze never left the central platform. "I have to be strong, for them."

"And now, the famed brawlers from Shade Academy, please welcome TEAM BRNZ!"

As JNPR stepped onto the octagon, their opponents emerged from across the battlefield. They numbered three guys and a girl – one guy carried a baton, another a set of claw-like blades, and the third has circular saws on either wrist. The girl wore a beanie over one eye and carried a sniper rifle. As BRNZ stepped onto the platform, the holoscreens began to flip through different stage environments. "The selected environments for this 4v4 team battle will be… forest and mountains!"

The stadium rumbled as the gray covering slid away, and the two biomes rose up from the coliseum's depths. At BRNZ's back, there was deep forest filled with natural grown trees, and behind JNPR rocky crags soared into the blue sky. Pyrrha narrowed her eyes at their opponents. _They'll double team me with two of the physical fighters, which is fine. That's a sniper though…_ Part of her wanted to let Jaune figure it out himself, but she didn't want to let him down. Leaning over, she murmured, "Jaune."

"Yeah?"

"The girl is a sniper, and it doesn't look like she has a physical weapon."

Jaune's eyes widened and he turned to Ren. "Hey, Ren, you're in charge of keeping the girl busy, okay?"

Ren nodded as he cocked StormFlower and settled into a ready stance. "Understood."

"Wait, but what if she runs back into the forest?" Pyrrha asked.

Nora gave her team a vicious grin. "Then we'll just have to _split them up_."

"3! 2!"

Jaune drew Crocea Mors and expanded his shield. Taking up the stance he and Pyrrha had gone over so many times, he said, "We got this. When they say start, we charge!"

"1! BEGIN!"

Lifting his sword into the air, he held his shield out before him and charged towards the other team with a wild yell. Pyrrha laughed as she ran in after him, her red hair streaming out behind her head. Now that they were in the battle, the confidence she had been helping him foster erupted with full force. Pride swelled in her chest. _He's come so far._

Just like she had expected, the girl was sprinting back towards the woods. "Ren, now!" Nora shouted as the two teams collided. Closing her eyes, Pyrrha braced herself and _pushed_.

Shields met steel. Bringing theirs together, Jaune and Pyrrha slammed through two of the boys. The third brought his fists up into an X block to counter her hammer, retaliating with a roundhouse kick that knocked her to the side. Ren dashed through the gap they had created, blasting the girl with StormFlower. The couple fell in behind him, going back to back as the boys shot a wary look at Ren then circled around them.

"Together?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune nodded. "Just like we practiced."

Crocea Mors and Milo spun around their bodies, their armor held together by Pyrrha's polarity. Jaune's opponent was the clawed boy – he kicked and swung with ever scrap of ability he had to fend of the blades. Pyrrha was actively helping him, guiding his sword and shield as he started to land hits on his opponent. To his back, Pyrrha's opponent fought with his saws and the brute force of his punches, but he was no match for her skill and Milo's cutting edge.

Meanwhile, Nora was facing down the smug boy with a cattle prod. After Magnhild had connected, her opponent was far warier. He had been stalking around her, searching for an opening, but now he dashed forwards. She swung for his legs, but he deftly jumped over her hammer and jabbed his weapon into her chest, arcing electricity up and down her body. Jaune's head shot up at his teammate's scream, but he grinned as he realized what was about to happen.

"Oh-ho! Looks like one of my favorite students, Nora Valkyrie, is charging up to use her Semblance!"

"Yes, Ms. Valkyrie's Semblance lets her produce, as well as channel, electrical energy straight to her muscles! This allows her to jump explosively into the air, wield her mighty hammer, or in this case, absorb Nolan's attacks and send the young man flying!"

"What?" the boy shrieked as Magnhild collided with his chest and sent him tumbling to the ground. Pyrrha's opponent broke away and ran to his side. He shook his head as he stumbled to his feet, massaging his chest as Nora prowled towards them. "Where's May?!"

Ren cautiously stalked through the forest section, keeping his pistols in hand as he scanned the trees around him. A shadow flew through the canopy, and his head jerked up; a round of shots into the trees revealed nothing. Sensing- He dove out of the way as a bullet slammed into a nearby tree with explosive force. Narrowing in on where it had come from, he twisted to avoid a second shot and leaped.

May cried out in surprise as he appeared above her and kicked her in the face. The sniper flew to the ground, spinning her weapon so she held the barrel and unleashing an ax blade from the hilt. They met in close combat. Ren rolled to avoid a wild swing, parrying twice then hooking StormFlower's blades over the scythe and ripping the weapon from her hands.

Leaning forwards, Ren kicked the sniper rifle away. May sneered at him and said, "What are you gonna do now, Flower Boy? Hit a defenseless girl?"

"I-"

He didn't get a chance to answer before May headbutted him, sending him staggering away. Diving for her rifle, she swung the ax around while he was off-balance. Still, her obvious inexperience fighting up close made it easy for Ren to duck her swing. Faking left, he flipped and kicked down, slashing his blades down her back with a practiced ease. Her aura shattered, and he stepped away. "Well, you weren't _exactly_ defenseless."

"May Zedong has been eliminated! Team JNPR now holds a 4-3 advantage – will BRNZ be able to come back from this deficit?"

"Great job, Ren!" Jaune hollered into the woods, grinning as he ducked a punch and got a faint reply.

"Jaune, go help Nora!" Pyrrha exclaimed, breaking her hold on his armor and turning to engage his opponent. Nora was carefully backing away as the two boys closed in on her. She stepped in to block a pair of claws with Akouo, determination filling her face. "I've got this one."

The boy she now faced gulped nervously. "Uh, right. She's just Pyrrha Nikos, I can take her."

She narrowed her eyes at him. _I am not_ just _Pyrrha Nikos! If I was being_ just _Pyrrha Nikos, I wouldn't be fighting in this tournament!_ "Let's finish this."

When Pyrrha tried, her opponents never lasted very long. When she was angry, well…

The boy tried to punch her, which she easily took on her shield. She launched into a furious combination of side slashes and lunges, which ripped at his aura as he futilely tried to block. Just as he started to predict her attacks, she chucked her shield at his head to distract him. When he ducked, she brought Akouo back as she flipped over him and rammed the bronze down on his back. The boy crumpled, and she unleashed her javelin and aimed for the cow prod boy who had attacked Nora earlier.

"Brawnz Ni and Nolan Porfirio have been eliminated in a stunning show of talent from Pyrrha Nikos!"

The final boy looked up at the holoscreen in shock, which was a mistake as Nora's hammer collided with his chest and sent him out of the battlefield.

"And now Roy Stallion is down as well! Team JNPR takes the match!"

"We won!" Jaune cheered, thrusting Crocea Mors into the air with a wild grin. Nora ran over and hugged him, and the two of them waved to the applauding crowd.

Pyrrha stared at the screen then nodded, waving politely to the crowd. _Always put on a good show, that's the most important thing. There will be time to relax later._

A hand rested on her shoulder. "Pyrrha, where did that come from?" Ren asked quietly.

"It doesn't matter. I just got a little heated for a moment, I suppose." She nodded to Jaune and Nora, who were still jubilantly celebrating the victory. "That's what matters, letting them have this chance."

Ren laughed, shaking his head. "Well, Jaune did want to prove himself to everyone, and you know how much Nora likes her hammer."

"Yeah." Raising her gaze back to the holoscreen, Pyrrha sighed. _We won, and that's what matters._

* * *

"Pyrrha!"

The redhead staggered backward as Ruby threw herself at her, catching the smaller girl in her arms and spinning her around. "Hello!"

"You were amazing!" she exclaimed, clinging to Pyrrha's armor.

"Well, somebody had a complete change of moods," Weiss grumbled as the rest of WBYR caught up with Ruby. The heiress was wearing an oversized tourist sweater over her dress, which looked so completely out of place on her that Pyrrha couldn't stifle her laugh.

"That's certainly a different style for you, Weiss."

"Oh, Ice Queen just had a little accident with some barbeque sauce on her white dress," Yang drawled, earning her a death glare.

"Yang Xiao Long, do you have any idea how much this dress cost?!"

Blake had her arm draped over Yang's shoulder and still looked to be half-asleep. Yawning, she said, "Weiss, why were you eating messy barbeque pulled pork if you didn't want to get your dress dirty?"

"Because _I_ have an appreciation for the finer tastes in life!" she sniffed, her sleeves drooping over her hands as she crossed her arms. A snicker interrupted her huff. "Ruby, what could possibly be so funny?"

Ruby pointed at the t-shirt. "There's a cute little birdie on there!"

Weiss gaped down at her sweater; sure enough, there was a small cartoon eagle leaning against a drawing of Amity Colosseum. "That's the mascot, dolt! It's on every bit of merch they're selling, I fail to see how that's funny."

"I know, I know, but- You're _you_ , and you're wearing a _sweater_ and it- it- it has a birdie on it!" Ruby collapsed into a helpless fit of laughter, followed quickly by Yang. Even Pyrrha politely covered her mouth as she held onto Ruby to keep her from falling over.

Taking a deep breath, Yang said, "Now _there's_ the Ruby I remember. Did Violet do something to you?"

Everyone turned to Violet, who smirked and held up her notebook, which read: " _I_ may _have let her eat an entire pint of ice cream..."_

"It was _cookie dough_!" Ruby wheezed, leaning back and looking at her sister upside-down in Pyrrha's embrace. "How could I not eat the whole thing?"

"So, if we're _quite_ done making jokes at my expense, could we please go back to the dorms so I can get out of this dreadful garment?" the heiress asked pointedly.

"Wait one second..." Yang whipped her scroll out and took a few pictures before Weiss could do anything. "Alright, now we're good."

Weiss' face turned red, and she made a grab for Yang's scroll. "Hey, give me that!"

"Nope!" Yang said, popping her P. "Now _I_ have blackmail! Maybe I'll show it to Winter..."

"You wouldn't dare! I am your leader, you delete those photos right now!"

"You'll have to catch me~," Yang sang as she danced out of Weiss' reach and started to jog towards Beacon.

"Come back here!" Weiss' fists shot to her side, and she went after Yang. "I will have you know I can run in heels!"

Blake rolled her eyes as they ran off towards the school, then looked to everybody else. "Should we follow them?"

"Wait, Weiss, I want blackmail tooo!" Ruby called after her teammates. Before anyone else could respond, she had grabbed Violet and dragged her towards the school.

"Your teammates are certainly excitable," Pyrrha said bemusedly, turning to Blake who was the only other person left.

Blake shook her head, her ears curling with the corners of her mouth. "You have no idea. Wanna go in too?"

"Yeah." The two girls made an odd couple as they set a relaxed pace towards Beacon's double doors. "We really don't talk very much, do we?"

Blake thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Not really. We both spend a lot of time with Ruby, though, so isn't that a bit strange?"

"I suppose it is. Well, I'd love to talk sometime, Blake," Pyrrha said diplomatically, and Blake nodded in response.

The great hall bustled with activity. People from all parts of the festival were hard at work, as Beacon acted as the tournament's administrative hub. Pyrrha and Blake threaded their way through the crowd towards the stairs, fending off compliments and questions about the match earlier. They had almost made it through when an announcement through the loudspeakers made them freeze in place.

"Would Pyrrha Nikos, Ruby Rose, Violet Rose, and Blake Belladonna please report to Headmaster Ozpin's office immediately?"

Pyrrha glanced at Blake, who had gone white. "Do you know what that's about?"

She shook her head and turned away from the stairs. "No, but we can't ignore him. Follow me."

The elevator hummed as they ascended the floors to the top of Beacon's clocktower. Pyrrha watched the other girl as they rose; something about the way she had reacted to the announcement was off-putting. _Why, of all people, me, Blake, Ruby, and Violet? How does that make any sense?_ _What's going on?_

* * *

 _Is he going to tell Pyrrha? Should we try to stop this from happening?_

 _Are you kidding me? Do you honestly think you and I have half a chance versus Ozpin?_ Neo shook her head as she paced back and forth in the elevator. _I don't have any fucking clue, Ruby. What else would he call the only people who know about all that shit to his office?_

 _Neo, relax._ Ruby was _not_ relaxed – her knuckles whitened as she gripped the elevator sidebar, the cold seeping into her fingertips. _We will be fine, otherwise he would have killed us ages ago._

 _There's a hell of a lot of ground between fine and dead, Ruby. You should be the first person to know that. Besides, I refuse to trust him._

 _And you don't have to, but stop pacing! Please!_ Reaching out, she grabbed Neo's hand – the other girl tried to snatch it away for a moment then stopped.

 _Fine. If it all goes to hell, at least you brought Rising Thorn and I have my sword._

The doors slid open. Stepping out, the gears and blue skies of the headmaster's office spilled out in front of them. Still holding her hand, Ruby led them into the room, where Ozpin, Glynda, Qrow, Ironwood, Winter, and Blake were all waiting. The latter gave them a relieved smile as she spotted them. Ears flattening, she sprinted over and whispered, "You don't think-"

"What else could they need the four of us for?" Ruby whispered back, pulling Neo towards the girl in the chair before Ozpin.

Pyrrha looked like a frightened animal, her eyes nervously darting around the room. "Ruby? What's going on? Who are all of these people?"

"Miss Rose." Ozpin's tone _demanded_ that she look up, and he responded to her questioning gaze with a slight nod.

 _That means he's dragging her into this whole mess?_ "Why the fuck-"

Pyrrha's look of shock grew as Ruby's mouth glowed purple and slammed shut. "Ruby, Neo, don't interfere," Qrow barked, pushing off of the pillar he had been resting on. Ruby snarled, jabbing her middle finger at him as red film set in across her eyes. _Don't involve Pyrrha in this!_ she wanted to scream.

"Ruby, please." Ozpin met her gaze evenly, clasping both hands on the hilt of his cane. "This decision is beyond you, and your extenuating circumstances are the only reason you are here right now. Do not make this harder for us than it has to be."

"Professor, she doesn't need to-" Blake was cut off as well, and Ironwood and Winter sent the trio identical glares.

"Students. You will _hold. your._ _t_ _ounges,_ " Glynda said, flicking her riding crop angrily.

"What is this?" Pyrrha asked, getting to her feet and looking around. "Why am I here?"

"Please calm down, Miss Nikos. I assure you, we will explain everything." Ozpin rose to his feet and gestured at the adults ringing his desk. "These are some of my trusted friends and associates. Qrow Branwen and I have worked together for years, and General James Ironwood and Specialist Winter Schnee are members of the Atlesian Military. You already know Glynda and your friends, of course."

"Ruby and Yang's uncle? Weiss' sister?" Pyrrha shook her head, looking lost. "Professor, if you don't mind me asking, why am I here?"

"Well, first of all, let me compliment you on your exemplary performance in your team battle. The double knockout you pulled towards the end was nothing short of brilliant," the headmaster said with a thin smile that never reached past his crooked spectacles.

Pyrrha blinked at the non-sequitur, collecting her thoughts before saying, "Well, I couldn't have done it without my team."

 _Oh, come on Pyrrha, stop being so fucking polite! That's so obviously changing the subject-_ Neo tried to shake free of Glynda's semblance, earning her a stink eye from the deputy headmistress.

"But that is not the real reason all of you are gathered here today." Leaning back, Ozpin lifted his finger to his lips and asked, "Tell me, what is your favorite fairy tale?"

A sinking feeling filled Ruby's gut: _He is!_ _He's_ _going to tell her!_

"I'm… sorry?"

"Fairy tales, stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them."

Pyrrha frowned, but answered nonetheless. "Well, there's The Tale of The Two Brothers, The Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower..."

"What about the story of the four seasons?" Ozpin asked, leaning forwards again.

"Yes, I know that," she responded curtly, glancing over at Ruby who was struggling against the semblance holding her.

"Well, what if I told you it was true?"

The mood in the room visibly soured – Pyrrha looked from face to face with a growing expression of shock. "Oh my god, you're actually serious."

Glynda flicked her crop again, and Ruby and Neo fell to the floor unceremoniously. Picking herself back up, Ruby growled, " _So_ , like I was going to say before, why the _fuck_ are you dragging my best friend into this?"

"Do I need to-"

"Muzzle me again? No thanks, I think that was more than enough for me," she snapped at her teacher, her hand sliding under her cloak to Rising Thorn's hilt.

"Ruby? Blake? What's going on?" Pyrrha asked quietly. They exchanged a glance, and Blake scowled and deferred to Ruby.

Ruby sighed. Her eyes softened as she met Pyrrha's, and she said, "Long story short, Ozpin is a manipulative immortal with magic who aura bonded four girls to the seasons to fight evil."

Pyrrha stared at her for a second, then nodded and looked out the window. "Yup, I believe I'm hallucinating. Jaune, if you hear this, pinch me."

"Miss Nikos." She looked at Ozpin with great trepidation, and her shoulder sagged at his serious expression. "You are not hallucinating. While I perhaps would not have put it so bluntly, so to say, everything Miss Rose just said is factually true."

"Welcome to our world, kid," Qrow muttered, and Pyrrha gawked at him.

"...magic? Aura bonds? That stuff is _real?_ "

 _Are you thinking what I'm thinking?_

 _Tell her?_

 _Absolutely._ Clearing her throat, Ruby said, "Hey, Neo, now that Ozpin's decided to go fuck over another one of our friend's lives, I think she should know the _whole_ truth."

The adults all cried out in alarm at the same time, but Pyrrha simply turned to Ruby with a lost expression. "Neo? Who's that?"

Smirking, Ruby jerked her head at Neo. "Well, you're looking at her."

Neo's form flickered, then her disguise slowly melted away from her body. Violet hair turned pink and brown, and her illusory combat skirt turned into her skin tight body suit and white jacket. Sneering, she flipped off the adults then turned to Pyrrha with an apologetic expression. _Ruby, can I talk through you?_ Ruby let her head sag and Neo began to talk. "Sorry about this, Pyrrha. Neopolitan, although we already know each other."

"Ru- no, you aren't Ruby, are you?"

"Well, kinda." Illusions flickered around Neo's body as she met Pyrrha's gaze. "I hear her thoughts, and she hears mine. Considering their reactions, I'd be willing to bet the adults didn't think we'd be talking about this because clearly they're a bunch of fucking idiots who don't think their actions through."

"Ruby..." Glynda said dangerously.

Neo whipped around in fury and drew her sword, stalking towards the other woman. "You can address me _directly_ , Glynda. Why are we even here? If you all are done spouting half-truths and bullshit, then maybe you could explain that to us."

Qrow hissed as he watched Ruby's slack body, and Pyrrha looked on in horrified amazement. Glynda scowled and said, "Neopolitan, despite your bond you are still my student-"

"Oh, fuck off." Neo pointed her sword at her. "I'm older than Winter, don't try that on me. I am an adult, and by extension so is Ruby. Pyrrha is eighteen, and Blake'll turn eighteen this summer. Give us a straight answer. Now."

"Violet?" Pyrrha whispered, and Neo gave her a crooked smile.

"You might not know it, Pyr, but being Ruby's best friend makes you mine too. If I had a tongue, maybe this wouldn't be such a surprise 'cause you might actually know me."

"You… don't have a tongue?" Neo let her mouth fall open, and Pyrrha desperately fought to keep her composure. "O-oh. So that's why you don't talk."

"Neopolitan, please restrain yourself," Ozpin said, rising to his feet. "I understand your and Miss Rose's resentment towards myself and the other adults in this room, but this situation carries more gravity than your individual problems."

Before Neo could lash out at Ozpin, Ruby ran forwards and grabbed her sword. _Neo, please, he's scaring me right now._

 _But-_

 _We have_ no idea _where this is going. Why did he choose Pyrrha? Please, can we just see what he has to say?_

Neo scowled at her, then acquiesced. _Only for you, Rose._

"Thank you, Miss Rose," Ozpin said, a hint of genuine gratitude at the edge of his tone.

Ruby crossed her arms as Neo slammed her sword back into its sheath. "This is for Pyrrha, not for you. Give us the truth. Now."

"What is _going on_?" Pyrrha asked, fear evident in her tone.

"I'll explain everything later, I promise," Ruby said.

"You shouldn't have done that, Ruby and Neo," Qrow said, an uncharacteristic softness to his voice.

"Yeah, well the last time we checked you weren't exactly the best example of how to treat this shit," she shot back, shifting closer to Neo.

"Ozpin." Ironwood pushed off of the wall and walked to the side of his desk. "This conversation has gone on for far too long. Tell her. _Now._ "

"Tell me what?" Pyrrha asked fearfully.

Ozpin sighed, then said, "Well, Miss Nikos, the reason we have called you here today is because we believe that _you_ are next in line to receive the powers of the Fall Maiden."

* * *

 **[A/N] So this is an 8k chapter. Lots of stuff happened here – one of Neo's worst memories, Ruby visits Summer's grave, the first round, and then of course Pyrrha's introduction to the world of the maidens…**

 **Buckle up, guys, it's gonna be a wild ride.**

 **Thank you all for reading and review – please leave your thoughts, they mean the world to me.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 3/17/18**


	26. V3 - Spiral

Volume Three, Chapter Six: Spiral

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 3/31/18

* * *

The bells tolled four o'clock in the silent office, sending deep vibrations down Ruby's spine as she and Neo gaped at Professor Ozpin. His gaze had never left Pyrrha, who's state of shock was slowly deepening. Once the hallowed ringing ceased, Blake was the first to speak up. "That's impossible. Aura bonds don't work like that."

 _How- how does that even work?_ Ruby asked, a cold and hollow feeling spreading through her chest. Neo took her hand and squeezed it, illusions ripping around their forms uncontrollably. _Aura bonds- Ozpin shouldn't be able to choose-_

 _Aura bonds transfer to the killer of the original holder or the last person in their thoughts in case of natural death. That's it._ Neo spun to look from adult to adult, her eyes coming to rest on Glynda who dabbed tears away from her eyes. _Oh my god. He's going to kill Amber. They must have decided that killing Amber and giving the power to someone healthy is the only way to keep it from Cinder._

Burnt corpses. Burning walls. For a brief moment, Ruby was staring at the CCT's destruction once again, trapped in high heels by the brutal destruction. _Cinder- But-_

Neo nodded. _I- We saw what she'll do to us, but- He's going to make Pyrrha kill her._

 _No. No, he can't do that to her, he-_ Ruby's head whipped back towards Ozpin, whose expression bore the weight of the world. "You can't! Amber is still alive, she'll have to-"

"Amber is dying." The riding crop sagged in Glynda's hand. She looked away as Ironwood stepped over to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder, green eyes steeled against the tinted panes. "Cinder unleashed a slow acting neurotoxin into her system: something so potent even top-of-the-line Atlesian tech can't stop entirely. If we don't act _soon_ , then we won't have a choice at all."

"What is this? W-who are you? Who is Amber? Who is Cinder?" Pyrrha rose from her chair and stumbled away from Ozpin. Ruby dashed forward with her semblance and caught her before she could topple over backward. Pyrrha looked up at her with a lost expression tempered by betrayal, sending a knife through Ruby's heart. "Ruby?"

"It's me, Pyr," she whispered, pulling her back to her feet. "I'm still me, I'm here for you."

"But you're also Vio- Neo?" she asked.

Ruby's grip on the other girl tightened, and the red aura flecks in her eyes danced as she met her friend's gaze. "Neo is a part of me. I'm still the same person, and she's been here the whole time. You're still my best friend, and I will fight any of the adults in here before I let them hurt you. Neo feels everything I feel, and she cares about you just as much as I do. Period."

Pyrrha shivered looking at her, shrinking away slightly. Ruby bit back a frown, saddened and slightly confused at her reaction. Suddenly, Neo poked her mentally. _Nod and let me talk for you._

"Your eyes changed color… You really are V-Neo too," Pyrrha whispered.

 _My eyes changed color?_ She looked back to Neo in surprise, gaping as she saw her silver eyes staring back at her.

 _Illusions. She didn't fully believe you, so I figured this might help her._ Neo smiled. _You look beautiful with white and pink eyes, Rose._ "Yeah, and Ruby is right," she said to Pyrrha. " _Both_ of us are here for you."

"Miss Nikos." Ozpin's cane spun in his hand as he walked around his desk and gestured towards the elevator. "While I am certain that we could explain this all to you, I believe it would be much more effective if we were to show you."

 _Show us? Show us what?_

"C'mon," Qrow growled, stalking away from the office. "I think it's about time you kids saw Amber for yourselves."

* * *

Dinging lightly, the elevator doors slid open the reveal Beacon's hidden depths

The vaulted ceiling rose several stories into the air, gothic lanterns dangling from high chains. They fell into two groups as they exited, the adults moving ahead as Neo lagged behind with Ruby, Pyrrha, and Blake. The mood instantly soured, shoes squeaking against the polished marble. "What is this place?" Pyrrha asked, looking around with a cautious eye.

"This is the vault," Ozpin said as they approached the end of a lit corridor. "We are under Beacon right now. There are dark forces at play in this world, and some things are better left unknown."

"Like the maidens." The dark circles beneath Blake's eyes tightened as he nodded.

James pulled Glynda to his side, leaning down to whisper something in her ear. Looking back, he said, "Miss Nikos, Miss Rose, Miss Belladonna, Miss Branwen."

Qrow, Ruby, and Neo all flinched, the former two attempting to respond before Neo beat them to it. _"Call me Neo or Neopolitan, James. I am not a student, and Raven is my mother but not in any official capacity."_

"Neopolitan." Winter's voice was clipped as she tossed them a glance over her shoulder. "How old are you, exactly?"

"She's twenty-three," Ruby said.

Growling under his breath, Qrow sped up as Glynda and Winter stopped to stare at her and Neo. "And you and she are-"

Winter blinked as Rising Thorn's blade pointed at her chest. Balefully, Ruby asked, "Care to finish that sentence, Winter?"

"Children." The elder Schnee stiffened at Ozpin's remark, but she turned on her heel and kept walking with a sniff. Glynda's gaze rested on Ruby for a moment longer, but she allowed James to lead her away from the students. "Please, I do not want to risk damaging Amber's stasis pod."

Amber's light brown skin shone under the harsh yellow light. Her face was marred by deep black scars, and her chest rose and fell unevenly. The adults stepped to the side to let the kids though, and the four girls gasped as they saw her unmoving body. Pyrrha hesitantly stepped forward to press her hand to the glass, meeting the maiden's eyes. "This… this is…"

"The fall maiden, Amber," Ozpin said somberly. "She is dying, and unless we act the enemy will take her powers down with her."

"Professor, who is the enemy? What is the darkness?" Blake shook her head, her ears flattening. "What do we need protection from?"

"Cinder. Harkan." Ruby pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, the cool air seeping under her skin and chilling her bone. "That's who we're fighting, right?"

"Who are they?" Pyrrha asked.

Ozpin stepped away from the pod and pressed his glasses up his nose. "Ruby and Blake, you understand but for Pyrrha's sake, nothing of what I am about to tell you _ever_ leaves this vault without the express permission of one of us four."

Winter scowled and looked away, and Pyrrha nodded. "I- I understand."

"We don't know nearly as much about Cinder Fall as we would like," Ironwood said. "We know that she's been quietly amassing power for a long time, only ever since she attacked Amber and stole half her powers she's been far less quiet about it."

"Wait, so she's the fall maiden?"

"Amber is the fall maiden!" Glynda snapped, emerald eyes flashing dangerously before the general squeezed her shoulder.

"Glynda, please, be calm if only for them," he whispered. She looked ready to fight back but sagged instead.

"Yeah, she's partially the fall maiden now. Course, even a powerful psychopath would never have gotten this far without some extra help," Qrow said.

"Help?" Ruby echoed.

Ozpin's cane hit the floor with a dull thud, sending echoes through the vault. "Cinder is powerful, but she is not the true enemy. The mastermind behind whatever is afoot in the kingdoms is far older and infinitely more powerful. Her name is Salem, and she has many more pawns than just her."

"Queen of the Grimm," Qrow muttered.

The room darkened, and Ruby stared at Oz in fear. _The Grimm… have a queen?_

 _Holy shit._ Neo took her hand, and for once, none of the adults decided to comment on it.

"So Harkan is her minion too?" Ruby shook her head – _no, that's not what I really want to know –_ and changed her question. "What is Harkan? You still won't tell us, not even after he nearly killed our team again."

"Ruby. Neo. Listen to me, this is of the utmost importance." Ozpin's eyes glowed slightly as if to prove his intensity. "No matter what, no matter how strong you two get, _never_ kill Harkan."

"I-" Ruby stopped short as she processed what he had just said. "I'm sorry, what? That- What does that have to do with what we asked?"

Silver hair glowed under the eerie lights. Ozpin's gaze was distant, then he said, "Once, Harkan was a normal faunus, no different than you might have been, Miss Belladonna. I taught him as well, and once I would have considered him to be my friend. I- I have told you that I have made a great deal of mistakes in my life, and his fall to Salem was one of my worst. I did not see it until it was far too late. Now, he carries a curse with him, one that has twisted him and made him less than faunus."

"That _thing_ is a faunus?" Blake whispered in horror, her hands flying to cover her mouth.

Neo narrowed her eyes. _That's not good enough._ Talking through Ruby, she asked, "Why does he want Ruby and me? Why can't we kill him?"

Ozpin took a deep shuddering sigh. "You cannot kill him because that curse, the one that has turned him into what he is, is an aura bond. If you killed him, his curse would transfer to you, effectively ending both of your lives."

"Oh," Ruby breathed.

"Salem can create aura bonds?!" Blake shrieked, looking from Ozpin to Ruby and Neo in fear. Ozpin bowed his head, and she turned white as a sheet. "How- How do we even have a chance fighting against her?"

"Because we have something she doesn't," Qrow said, staring Blake down.

"The maidens," Pyrrha breathed. "Wait, so if Amber died and the rest of the power goes to Cinder..."

The adults somberly stared at the floor. Glynda made a choking sound and hugged James, and Ruby fought to keep herself stoic. _Harkan has an aura bond. Is that why he's coming after us?_

 _It has to be._ Neo gripped her umbrella's hilt, knuckles whitening as she met Ruby's eyes. _I don't like this. I don't like this at all. What are they going to do to Pyrrha?_

"What does this mean for me?" Pyrrha asked, clasping her hands, her eyes never leaving Amber. "How can I be 'chosen' to be the next Fall Maiden if two different people already have the power?"

"Amber will die." Winter's voice was cold as she walked to the capsules and ran her hand over the glass. "Our tech is top of the line, but she had been on life support for _months_. The toxin is too powerful to contain any longer. We estimate she has a week."

"But we don't think we even have that long." Qrow stopped pacing and stood in front of Pyrrha. "I've been to the Grimmlands twice this year. They're moving, and we think they're going to attack now before the festival ends."

"Attack?" Blake whispered. "But- The Vytal Tournament! The protest! There will be millions of extra people in Vale, we have to warn them to evacuate-"

"Miss Belladonna."

Ozpin's gaze was harsh, and Blake blinked. "You're not going to tell them. You're not going to evacuate the millions of unarmed faunus from the city."

"You're a smart girl, Blake," Glynda said, her voice throaty from unshed tears. "What brings the Grimm?"

"Fear. Hate. Anger. But..."

"And what will happen if we inform a city with millions of extra people about an impending life-threatening attack?"

She had no room to answer before Ironwood interjected. "Blake. You are a huntress, you more than anyone should understand the danger our world poses. Vale is _the safest_ place _in the world_ right now. We have the entire Valean army and half of my army at out gates waiting and the best hunters and huntresses in the world at our command. Our only other option would be to transport the entire city to Atlas, which is, well-"

"Impossible," Blake finished for him.

Ozpin bowed his head. "We are lucky that this attack has not come _sooner_. In fact, I would imagine that you, Ruby, are part of the reason it has not."

She stared at him for a second before she understood. "I killed Roman Torchwick." Neo returned Qrow's glare as she said, "I know he was working for Cinder, but- What did he have to do with any of this?"

"We don't know, and we might never know. All that matters is that sometime last fall, Salem's plans changed course and now we're even more in the dark than before." Ozpin turned away to look at Amber. "This is what is at stake, Miss Nikos. We are asking you to take up the mantle of Fall Maiden, for the sake of Vale and Remnant."

A hysterical laugh bubbled out of Pyrrha's throat. "How is this a choice? How can you keep this all a secret, then just-"

"There is _always_ a choice," Ozpin said, cutting her off. "We are not asking you to decide at this moment, but you must make your choice before the end of the Vytal tournament. Any longer, and it may be too late."

* * *

"Where are you taking me?"

Blake and Neo flanked Pyrrha as Ruby stalked into one of the auxiliary training arenas. Inside, two second years froze as Ruby unleashed her naginata and snarled, "Get out."

"B-Black Rose!" Dashing to get their stuff, the other students fled the room. The door slammed shut behind them, and Ruby and Neo walked to the center of the battlefield.

"Pyrrha." She looked up at Ruby. Her gut twisted as she saw Ruby's head hanging down and Neo staring at her defiantly. "Ruby and I aren't going to let you get in your own head about this. She's just about ready to kill Ozpin right now, so we're going to work off some steam, then the four of us are going to have a nice dinner and talk it all through."

"The four of us? Is that a thing now?" Her voice quavered as she said it. Blake tried to comfort her, but she jerked away.

Neo smirked bitterly. Pyrrha couldn't help but wonder whether her face was permanently like that. "Yeah, I guess it is. The Black Rose, a serial killer, and ex-terrorist, and Mistral's golden girl. You can blame Ozpin for that."

"Ex-terrorist? _Serial killer?!_ "

"We'll give you the whole story later," Ruby said as she raised her head, readying Rising Thorn. "For right now, though..."

Pyrrha gaped at the battlefield, which had instantly dissolved into a cloud of petals and illusions. _How- I've never seen Ruby move that fast! Is that Vi- Neo's semblance?_

"Yeah, it's hard to tell what's happening when those two fight," Blake said as she collapsed into the stands. "Ruby's so fast she's hard to keep track of these days, plus ever since she figured out how to split herself up into multiple petal clouds it's hard to figure out where she is. Then Neo is… well, you see the illusions. Plus they both know exactly what the other one is doing because of their bond, so this happens."

 _Bond…_ Pyrrha's head spun as she settled into the stands, watching her best friend fight. _Do I even know Ruby? Have I ever? Does this mean that I'm going to lose her?_

"Pyrrha. Pyrrha! Calm down, you're hyperventilating!" Pyrrha snapped out of her trance as Blake violently shook her, her breath coming in short gasps. "Come on, focus on me."

Tears threatened the corners of her eyes, but she fought them down. _I will not cry here or now._ Digging her fingernails into her palm, she looked up at Blake and searched for her question. _I- What can I even say?_ "Is Ruby really, well..."

"Yeah, she is." Blake stared at the battle below. "I can't really describe it for her, but she says that their bond is everything to her. She and Neo are never apart. Ever. Trust me, there was a while where Neo thought pranking me was hilarious and she was _always_ there."

"What are you talking about, I talk to Ruby alone all the time," Pyrrha said, a hint of doubt in her pronouncement.

Blake shook her head sadly. "No, you don't. First of all, Neo's illusions mean she can be invisible whenever she wants. All those times Violet just disappeared, that was Neo doing her own thing around our dorm. Even if she isn't there in person, she's always in Ruby's head. They talk to each other about everything constantly, and sometimes Ruby just lets Neo talk through her all day. It's sweet, really, since Neo can't talk for herself."

Each additional point felt like a punch to Pyrrha's gut. "Do I even really know her?" she whispered, shying away from Blake's sad smile.

"They're your friend. Trust me, I know more about Ruby than anyone else, she loves talking to you. The only people who even come close are the rest of my team."

"But do I know her?"

"I don't know, Pyrrha." Blake swept a stray strand of hair from her face, gently tucking it behind her human ear. "I thought I knew them for a long time, and I was so, so wrong. Sometimes I think Neo is the only person who really understands Ruby."

Leaning back in her seat, she watched the fight below blankly. Her hand started to shake, and she clenched her wrist to stop it. _How can I not understand my first true friend at Beacon? How is any of this possible?_

* * *

Pyrrha didn't know what to think anymore.

"Aunt Raven!" The woman in the Grimm mask had barely stepped out of the portal (portaling, that was _completely_ normal) before Ruby and Neo had thrown themselves at her.

Wrapping them both into a tight single-armed hug, Raven pulled her helm off and dropped it, revealing wild black hair and red eyes. Realization struck Pyrrha – _this is Yang's mom. But- Yang hasn't seen her mom since she was a baby! What is she doing here?_ She leaned down and kissed Neo on the forehead, and Pyrrha's mind went blank. _Okay, if I wasn't lost before, I am now._

"Hi Mom." It was Ruby who had mumbled that, or maybe it wasn't Ruby? She was having a hard time figuring it out.

"Raven." Raven looked up at Blake, who jerked her thumb at Pyrrha. "Pyrrha's going to eat dinner with us tonight. We have to explain things to her."

Pyrrha shrank back under Raven's fierce stare, which softened after a moment. "So you're the Pyrrha Nikos Neo and Ruby have told me so much about."

"M-Mrs. Branwen, it's a pleasure to meet you." Despite her fear, the politeness came naturally to her after years of routine.

The older woman scowled as Ruby and Neo broke away from her. "My name is Raven, I haven't married in fifteen years. Come on, I got us a reservation for three but I'll see if I can't convince the hostess to get us a table for five." Popping the hilt of her sword out of her scabbard, she gave a smirk eerily similar to Neo's and stalked into the restaurant as Ruby peppered her with questions.

"What have I gotten myself into?" she asked herself aloud.

Blake shook her head, tossing her a look back over her shoulder. "Look, Pyrrha, Raven is… a complicated woman, okay? Just… Neo is her adoptive daughter and whatever you do don't mention Yang. Got it?"

"O-okay?"

The restaurant's darkened interior bustled with overwhelming sounds and noises – a live band played in one corner and holoscreens blasted Vytal Tournament coverage in the other. They had been seated at a circular table aside from the normal dining room. She absentmindedly made for a seat next to Raven, but Blake grabbed her arm and dragged her to the seat between her and Ruby. As she sat down, Neo leaned against Raven and peacefully closed her eyes. _Well, she definitely_ acts _like_ _Violet did with Ruby…_

The Nevermore Queen gently brushed Neo's hair out of her face, her critical glare never leaving Pyrrha. "So. Would one of you mind explaining why Oz decided to drag another seventeen-year-old into this?"

"Eighteen, actually." Neo's illusory writing hung lazily in the air, shimmering until Ruby reached up and shattered it.

"Oz wants to make her the next fall maiden," she said bluntly, and Blake nodded.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean by _make her_ the next fall maiden?"

"The last one is in a coma under the school. Apparently, Cinder Fall is working for someone named Salem-" Raven choked on her tea. "-and she stole half of the fall maiden's powers, and if Amber dies the rest of the power will go to her too." Ruby scowled, spinning her steak knife around with her fingers. "As far as Neo and I can tell, Ironwood's got some illegal aura transmission tech and they want to move the rest of Amber's powers into Pyrrha's body before she dies."

"Oh, and Ozpin also said that there's probably going to be a full-scale attack on Vale in the next two days, so don't panic," Blake said, panic creeping into the edges of her voice.

Raven looked from Ruby to Blake, then slowly nodded and took a deep sip of her tea. "Ozpin," she muttered, setting her cup down on the table. "So instead of preparing Vale's defenses, he tells this all to three first-year combat students and my daughter. I suppose my darling brother was there too?"

"Of course he was. Did you hear he was so drunk he tried to attack Winter the second she landed at Beacon?" Ruby snapped, wincing as she lost control of the knife, which pierced through her napkin into the wood below. "I had to disarm him, he didn't even put up a fight."

"Um." Everyone else at the table turned to Pyrrha, who shrunk down in her seat. "Mr- Raven, excuse me, I, um- I- I was wondering, well- How-" Hopelessly, she gestured from her to Neo, earning herself a pitying glance.

"Neo is my adoptive daughter," Raven said. Pyrrha bit her second question back – _don't ask about Yang –_ but Raven noticed the motion and scowled at Ruby. "I thought Ozpin would have filled her in."

"About the maidens, yeah. Not about me and Neo." Ruby yanked the knife out of the table only for Neo to catch her hand. Pyrrha, Blake, and Raven watched with muted interest as they had an intense non-verbal conversation. Eventually, Neo pulled the knife out of her hand, much to Pyrrha's relief, which quickly turned to horror as she drew her dagger and handed it to Ruby. The two girls shared identical grins, and suddenly Pyrrha very much wished she could be anywhere but here.

"Do they do… that a lot?" she whispered to Blake, who shrugged.

"Yeah, you kinda get used to it after a while." The faunus leaned in and whispered, "Honestly, they're in their own world half the time and don't even notice it. It's kind of adorable, once you realize what's actually happening. Besides, they're totally into each other-"

"Blake!" Ruby squeaked, turning bright red as Neo shot her a saucy glance.

Sighing, Raven leaned back in her chair to stare at the ceiling. "Honestly, this is starting to feel like that time Tai bribed me into subbing for his class that one time..."

Neo snorted, lazily catching her dagger as Ruby lost control of the spinning hilt. Ruby shrugged sheepishly, then asked, "How'd Dad manage that?"

"Do you really want to know?"

Ruby took one look at the bandit queen's expression and turned green. "Gross! I don't wanna think about that!"

"Well, your father is, ah, _persuasive_ when it comes to certain things," Raven said with a distasteful expression Pyrrha had seen too many times from her sleazier fans. "After all, he did manage to sleep with all three of his teammates-"

"Dad slept with Qrow?!" Ruby shrieked as Neo burst into laughter. "Please tell me he wasn't married then too!"

Pyrrha shot Blake a glance, who shot her an equally lost glance back.

"No, that was back at Beacon," Raven laughed. "You didn't know Tai is bi? Qrow, well, he's basically straight but he used to call himself Taisexual-"

"Ew ew ew ew ew ew!" Neo slapped a hand over Ruby's mouth, her eyes sparkling as she nodded at Raven to keep talking.

"They dated for most of our third year – Summer was practically in love with me back then, she kept asking me out-"

Blake's eyes were wide. "You dated _Ruby's mom?!_ "

"It was only for a week!" Raven protested, looking away at the thought. "She was my best friend, all best friends hook up at some point! Anyways, I was straight so I told her it wasn't going to work-"

"After hooking up with her?" Pyrrha asked in mild disbelief.

Ruby and Neo were both cracking up, and Ruby's head dropped so Neo could talk. "Oh, please, Mom, you aren't straight at all."

"I'm sorry, what did you just say Neo?" Raven asked with a dangerous calm.

Neo gave her a cheeky wink in return. "I saw you and Vernal getting cozy together in your tent, I bet you two- ew, Neo, I'm not going to say that! - ugh, fine, but I _know_ you're into that."

"Vernal is a trusted companion-"

"Sure she is," Neo cooed, patting Raven's gauntlet soothingly.

Blake stared at Raven. "Is there anyone on Team STRQ who _didn't_ sleep together?"

"Um, well..." It didn't inspire confidence in Pyrrha that Raven had to think about it for a moment. "Obviously Qrow and I never did, incest is disgusting, and Summer and I didn't get _that_ far..."

Ruby hid her face in her hands and muttered, "Mom and Qrow?"

"Well, they never dated, but Tai and Qrow managed to convince her to do a three-way once..."

Beacon's youngest huntress had curled up into a ball whispering incomprehensible gibberish to herself, so Neo was forced to resort back to her illusions. "I can't believe that _you_ were the chaste one out of your team!"

Raven smirked, and Pyrrha was once more unsettled by her similarity to Neo. _I can definitely see her as her mom, it's almost hard to believe it's not biological!_ "Well, Summer was, but then we corrupted her."

Blake and Ruby both looked out of it, and Pyrrha decided she had had enough. "Um, that was all very… informative, but I'm failing to see what it has to do with Neo."

Raven blinked as she looked at Pyrrha. "Oh, right, Oz is making me do more of his dirty work. So, basically..."

She proceeded to fill Pyrrha in on the holes in Ozpin's story, with assistance from the other three girls. As they talked, she pulled her arms closer and closer to her chest, having a hard time believing the events described could have really transpired. When they finished, she shakily said, "So that was all the drama we kept walking in on in January."

"Yeah." Ruby reached down to still her trembling hand, steely gray eyes shielded from her understanding. "You shouldn't have been dragged into this, Pyrrha."

"And now that I know, I have to make this, this choice."

"Yeah."

There was a long silence. Food was delivered to the table, but nobody moved to eat it. Pyrrha kept her eyes on the white tablecloth; she felt her friend's gazes weighing down on her and she couldn't bear facing them at that moment. Quietly, she said, "I never wanted this. I don't want to be a maiden."

"I never wanted to be a part of this either," Blake murmured, her ears curling slightly. "When I confronted Ruby that night we fought each other, I was suspicious but I never wanted to be _right_. I- This is going to sound shitty because it _is_ shitty, but we don't have a choice anymore. Now that you know, there's no going back."

"There's always a choice," Raven muttered. "I didn't want to serve Ozpin, so I left."

Blake shook her head. "You had already graduated. That was different. You can defend yourself, we're just a bunch of kids. Leaving paints a target on our back from _both_ sides, not to mention if I leave then I'm leaving Yang and Weiss behind too."

Her breath caught in her throat. "Jaune… What will I- How can I keep this a secret from him? He's my boyfriend, I trust him more than anyone, can't I tell him?"

"No."

Pyrrha turned to look at Ruby, who gave her a hard look back. "But-"

"You shouldn't be here. You shouldn't know about this," Ruby snapped, snatching Neo's dagger back to fidget with it. "This is a secret because everyone who knows it is in danger. Neo and I both would be killed if the wrong people found out about us, and Harkan has almost killed us three times just this school year. I've already put Jaune in enough danger-"

"Ruby." Blake held up a hand to stop her rant. "Calm down, you're scaring her. Pyrrha, look at me." Hesitantly, Pyrrha raised her head to meet her amber eyes. "Yang doesn't know either. I- I'm not going to lie to you, it's hard to keep it from them, but- Ozpin, he..."

"Doesn't have the purest intentions?" Raven offered dryly.

She frowned, clasping her hands. "What do you mean?"

"He's a manipulator." The dagger glimmered as it spun in Ruby's hands. "He- We definitely think he has humanity's best interests in mind, but his methods are questionable."

"If I don't stay at Beacon and help Ruby, he's threatened to send me to jail for my time in the White Fang," Blake added.

Pyrrha gasped, looking from person to person. "But that's blackmail!"

"And the council are a bunch of racist pieces of shit who won't give a damn," she shot back bitterly. "What else is new?"

Pyrrha's mind was a cluttered wreck, and she desperately tried to fight sense into it. "So I can't tell Jaune, I can't leave Beacon, and if I don't accept mysterious powers in less than two days I'm endangering every human on Remnant. How- How am I even supposed to- I-"

"If I had known he was going to ask you, I would have stopped this." Angrily, Ruby stabbed the dagger back into the table.

"It's not a choice." The realization washed over Pyrrha like cold water, seeping the fight out of her body. "They… they said an attack was coming any day now, and that the maidens were the only thing stopping Salem from winning. If I refuse..."

"There is no other potential fall maiden," Blake finished her sentence. "They're just going to let Amber die. They're going to let the poison kill her."

"No." Raven shook her head, deathly calm settling over the table. "Ozpin isn't a fool. He won't let Salem take a maiden's power willingly. If you don't accept..."

"Then they'll force me into it anyway." Nobody contended her words and deep horror filled her chest.

"Pyrrha..." Suddenly, Ruby flung her arms around her. "I'm sorry! This shouldn't be you, you shouldn't have to-"

The resemblance to the Ruby Pyrrha knew (or thought she knew) was too much for her, and she got to her feet. Pulling Ruby's arms off of her, she backed away from the table. "I- I have to think. Alone."

"Pyrrha, wait!"

Turning on her heel, Pyrrha sprinted out of the restaurant and into the darkened streets of Vale.

* * *

"Alright, so now I get to move ten spaces! Free parking!"

"Hey, no fair, we can't both be on free parking! Alright, my hammer attacks your dinky little shield-"

"Crocea Mors is not 'dinky!'"

"Guys." Jaune and Nora turned to look at Ren, who held up the Monopoly rulebook. "First of all, I'm pretty sure we can't attack each other. Second, couldn't it just be a parking lot? You could have plenty of, uh, weapons there."

Nora squinted at the rules, then glared at Jaune. "Either way, it is _on_!"

"You have no chance against the Arc Corporation! _I_ have sisters," he said triumphantly, jabbing a thumb at his chest.

Weiss sighed as Nora winced, withdrawing into herself slightly as Ren rested a comforting hand on her leg. _There he goes, using his semblance to calm her down again. If only Jaune wasn't so oblivious…_ She didn't know Ren and Nora's past, but she had been around them long enough to gather that it wasn't pleasant. _At least they have each other…_

She and most of Team JNPR were gathered around JNPR's table, playing the Monopoly game Nora dug out of the common room closet. Behind them, Yang paced back and forth in front of the door, anxiously checking her scroll every now and them. Weiss' attention was only half on the game before her; she was just as worried as Yang, although she concealed it better.

None of them had seen Ruby, Pyrrha, Blake, or Violet since the end of the match.

With that collection of people, Weiss had to assume it had something to do with the secret. If it was, though, she couldn't even imagine why Pyrrha was with them. She was worried, but Yang was furious. _She and Blake were supposed to go to the protest planning meeting this afternoon, and she won't talk to me about what happened… I can't even imagine her going alone, she isn't even a faunus! It must have been horrible to make her that angry…_

"Weissy, it's your turn~!" Nora sang, bringing her back to her senses. Shaking her head clear, she stared blankly at the board.

"Um, what exactly am I supposed to be doing again?"

"Well, you're a real estate developer, silly!" The redhead pressed the die into her hand. For a second, Weiss could have sworn she caught a glimpse of concern in her silly exterior, but she pushed the thought away. "Look, you're doing great, you, um… Well, you only paid income tax once, and you have both utilities, so that has to count for something!"

Weiss blinked at the assortment of cards in front of her and sighed. "I swear, this must be one of Father's crazy schemes to make me learn to manage the family real estate..."

Jaune drew himself into a cross-legged position, pushing his discarded armor further under his bed. "You don't have to play if you don't want to..."

She looked back at Yang, who hadn't stopped pacing long enough to pay them any attention. _She's going to have a total breakdown if I try to talk to her._ Weiss bit her lip and turned back to the board; her team was more important than her opinion on some dumb board game, and Yang needed space. _Time to pretend to have fun._ "No, I was just deciding the best way to dominate the real estate market and master capitalism! You will tremble before the power of the Schnee Monopoly Company!" she yelled, launching the dice at the center of the board and moving her piece several spaces.

"Luxury tax!" Jaune exclaimed gleefully, snatching money away from her stores. "Score for the Arc Corporation!"

"There you go." Nora leaned back with a satisfied smile. She met her eyes and caught another glimpse of hidden emotion. "I knew you had it in you."

Not for the first time, Weiss wondered whether she and Nora were more alike than either of them were willing to let on.

"They still aren't back yet." Yang's voice was quiet, but Ren paused his roll to look up at her.

"They'll come. Do you want me to help calm you down?"

Shaking her head, Yang resumed her pacing. Weiss and Ren exchanged a glance and sighed, then the game resumed. It wasn't until many trips around the board that his words came true.

A knock at the door – Yang jumped to pull it open. Standing behind the open frame was Pyrrha, staring blankly at the room before her. Jaune sprang to his feet, concern and anger marring his face. "Where have you _been_? You said you would meet us in the gardens right after you got back, but then you went to Professor Ozpin's office and never came back! I-"

Pyrrha promptly burst into tears, running forwards and desperately hugging her boyfriend. Weiss got to her feet and clustered around her, the game forgotten behind them. Jaune ran his fingers through her hair, whispering comforting words even as he shot Ren a look.

Ren nodded and rushed to her other side. "Pyrrha, is it okay if I calm you down so we can talk to you?" She nodded ever so slightly, letting Ren place his hands on her arm.

Weiss looked on worriedly, relaxing slightly as Yang walked over and leaned on her shoulder. Jaune reached over to her with his hood and gently dabbed at her tears. "Pyr, what happened?"

She took a series of deep breaths, gripping tightly to Jaune's hands for comfort. Finally, she whispered, "I can't tell you."

"But… we can't help you if you don't tell us," Nora said.

Yang cursed under her breath, looking to Weiss for guidance. Her fears confirmed, she stepped towards Pyrrha and said, "Ruby and Blake let you in on the secret?"

Pyrrha's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought- They said that nobody else knew. Do you guys-"

"No, we just know there is one." Weiss took another step, but Jaune stood up in her path.

Glaring, he growled, "Hold up. What the fuck does she have to do with this?"

"Jaune, please, this isn't what you think it is!" Pyrrha pleaded, pulling him back down onto the bed. "Please, it's not her fault, she's the victim! She didn't want to tell me, neither did Blake, they didn't even know Ozpin was going to tell me until we got to his office."

"Ozpin told you?" Yang asked.

Ren's aura flickered and Pyrrha started to cry again. "It- it- it's not her fault, it's- and now I can't tell you, and- and-"

Jaune was panicking now. "Ren, can't you calm her down?"

"It's too much for me," the other boy gasped. "Fear and anger are easy, but sadness is harder and confusion isn't even really a negative emotion."

"Jaune." Every head in the room turned to Weiss; Jaune might have lead JNPR, but she was considered the unofficial leader of their entire group. "Let her cry."

"But-"

"Sometimes you just have to let it out. She'll talk to us when she's ready," she said as kindly as possible.

Jaune gritted his teeth but nodded to Ren. As Pyrrha dissolved back into hysterics, Yang pulled her away from JNPR to the far corner of the room. "Why the hell-"

"I _don't know_ , Yang," Weiss hissed back, "and we're not going to get it out of Pyrrha."

"Why would Ozpin tell Pyrrha but not us?" Weiss hushed Yang as her voice rose, shooting a glance back at Pyrrha. "She isn't even on WBYR! Does he not trust us, does he-"

Weiss cut her off with a fierce glance. "Look at her! _That_ is what happens when someone figures this stupid secret out! Ruby practically went insane, Blake stopped eating and sleeping for a week, and now the single most composed person at Beacon is in the middle of a complete breakdown over it! Do you want that?"

A hint of rouge aura rose from Yang's clenched fists. "What I _want_ is to know what was so important that my girlfriend ditched me in a crowd of anti-human faunus at _her_ protest! What I want is to know why my sister is a completely different person now than in September!"

"Yang, you need to calm down _now_ ," Weiss snapped with the iciest tone she could manage. "This _isn't about you._ I don't care how angry you are at Blake, stop waiting to punch her and think for a second! _Ozpin_ kept her from going to the protest meeting, you can't honestly expect her to ignore him."

Yang flinched back, but she didn't get a chance to respond before Jaune turned to them and said, "Weiss. Tell us what you know, now."

Lifting her chin and pulling her hair back, Weiss said, "We only know what Ruby and Blake were allowed to tell us. All I know is that there's a secret, something dangerous, and Ozpin won't let us know because he believes it would put us at risk."

The chilled silence that followed was punctuated only by Pyrrha's sniffles. "I-is it really _that_ bad?" Nora asked quietly.

The lack of an answer chilled Weiss to the bone. _Why does Pyrrha have to know? Is something about to happen?_

 _Why doesn't Ozpin trust me and Yang enough to let us help Ruby and Blake?_

* * *

"Glynda."

James sighed as he pulled the door to the Deputy Headmistress' office open and stepped inside. Neat stacks of paper were organized on shelves and in filing cabinets, and incense burned in a small dish on her desk. On the walls, photographs of Glynda with other people covered the patterned wallpaper, especially ones with a younger Amber plus another girl and boy. At her desk, Glynda's head was buried in her arms, a discarded bottle of liquor haphazardly tossed into a nearby wastebasket.

Tearily, she looked up at him. "James..."

Sighing, he drew a plush armchair over from the opposite wall to sit across from her. "You shouldn't be drinking in the school. You always get the worst hangovers, remember?"

Glynda hiccuped in choked laughter, fumbling for her glasses. "I 'member, ice boy."

James laughed alongside her, gently reaching for her teapot and pouring her a cup. "Of course, the Vytal Festival when we met for the first time, back when I was twenty and you were seventeen..."

"And we tried to hit on you because Laurel thought the Atlas boys were the hottest," she slurred, reaching for the cup of tea and wiping her eyes.

He stood and pulled one of the old photographs off the wall, staring at the happy teenagers. "This is about your team, isn't it?"

"I miss them," she whispered as he gently pulled her out of her desk chair and guided her to a plush couch in the private room behind her office. "I miss Laurel and Kyle. I've never stopped missing them."

Sitting down beside Glynda, James gently pulled her head to his chest, holding her tight as she started crying again. "I miss them too. You've done so much, Glynda, you and Amber both. That's all your teammates could ever have asked of you."

"I could have saved them."

"That was a decade years ago. We were all there when Salem attacked, there was nothing more you could have done. Laurel, Kyle, Summer… We lost so many people that night, but we saved Atlas. They saved millions of lives, you know that."

Glynda had started openly crying again, moisture dissolving into his regal uniform. "I know, I just- They're g-g-gone, and now Amber is going to die too, and- and- it's all because of the stupid maidens, and-"

"Laurel chose to take on the mantle of the spring maiden," he said as kindly as he could. "She knew what she was getting into, and she was brilliant. She and Kyle died in each other's arms doing what they had dedicated their lives to do, protecting Remnant and the powers of the maidens. You know that without Laurel, Lilia would never have received the maidens powers-"

"And what good did that do? Laurel is dead, Lilia was killed, and now the spring maiden's powers are lost," Glynda said resentfully. "Amber took the fall maiden's powers, and now I'm _never_ going to get to say goodbye-"

"You loved her."

She broke down completely then, and it was a while before she was able to talk. " _Sixteen years_ , James. We dated for longer than Miss Rose has been alive. I- I still have the promise ring she gave me before we even got to combat school, when we were just stupid sixteen-year-olds in Mantle. We- We were going to get married, last fall. The trip to Mistral was supposed to be her last mission before- before we told everyone, but now it's _never going to happen!"_

"You were going to get- Oh, _Glynda_..." James fought down the tears threatening to rise; he _never_ cried, and he wasn't about to start then. "I'm so sorry..."

"I should have gone with her. I could have protected her, maybe then Leo wouldn't have sent her- sent her back _alone_ so that _bitch_ could- could do that to her," she snarled, clenching his shirt in her fists. "I can't even give her a proper goodbye because Ozpin wants to leech the aura out of her fucking body and implant it in the poor Nikos girl!"

"Vale _will not fall_ ," he said forcefully, tightening his hold on her shaking frame. "Her sacrifice will not be in vain, I swear on my life."

"Don't say that, James." Glynda shook her head. "I can't lose you too, you and that drunk idiot are the only people I have left-"

"You have Tai."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because I'm going to waste away my life on a tiny island taking care of a flower box commiserating about our dead wives together. That's not what she would have wanted!"

"Amber wouldn't want you to be like this either," James said, sitting her up straight. "Neither would Laurel or Kyle or any of the others."

"I know that..." Glynda turned away from him, staring out into the night. The broken moon hung heavy over the city, illuminating the far-off bay. "It's a curse, not a blessing. I know that much now. The maiden's power has done nothing but take everyone I've ever truly cared about away from me, and I'll never forgive Ozpin for that."

"We're going to beat Salem."

She gave a hollow laugh. "We're not going to beat her. We're going to survive, and do everything in our power to keep as many people as possible alive. That's why Laurel and Kyle died. That's what Amber would have wanted."

Nothing else said was of consequence; Glynda withdrew after that, exhaustion setting in as the alcohol made its way through her system. James helped her to bed, then turned off the lights and slowly drew her door shut behind her. Closing his eyes, he bowed his head in private grief, then turned away.

 _Vale will not fall._

 _I swear it, Glynda._

* * *

"Cinder knew that you would have doubts."

Emerald's voice was crisp in Dane's ear. The dark fell heavy on her, eerily illuminating her red eyes as she circled the stone he sat on in the Emerald Forest. Legs spread, he leaned forward with his hands clasped, unwilling to lift his gaze from his calloused knuckles. "And I told Fire Bitch that I wouldn't," he growled back, itching to draw the weapon at his hip.

A sickle blade kissed his neck. "How dare you-"

"I don't answer to pyromaniacs with delusions of grandeur," he hissed back, his fur rippling as he flexed his muscles. "What do you want, _Emmy?"_

She bit something back and he smirked in satisfaction. _I win this game, every time._ "You know the plan?"

"I'm not a fucking retard, Gem, I know how to not get skinned alive by Adam," he snapped back. "Your end-"

"Everything is ready. We just need you to pull the trigger." The blade retracted from his throat, but he caught her wrist before she could fully pull away.

"Let's get something straight." Dane yanked her arm towards him, knocking her weapons away and grabbing her throat with his other hand. Emerald choked as her outrage turned to panic, launching a kick into his side that he took with a wince. "I don't give a fuck about your boss or your boss' boss. The only thing _I_ care about is that I get what _I_ want, and your cute little scheme just happens to be the best way of getting there. Do you understand?" She launched another kick at his side, which barely connected as he rose and lifted her of the ground. Tightening his grin, he bellowed, "Do you understand?!"

Feebly, Emerald nodded and he ungraciously let her collapse to the dirt. As she wheezed for a desperate breath, he launched a powerful kick at her side. Screaming, she collided with a tree and hit the ground just as he strode up to her and kicked her again. "You-"

Dane's lip curled upwards as he lifted her up again by her shirt. "Turnabout is fair play, Emmy. Tell your master that I belong to _nobody_ , not even Adam. I will never be a slave, something that you don't seem to have a problem with."

Emerald slumped against the tree as he stalked away, deep purple bruises encircling her neck. "Cinder won't let you get away with this! When she finds out, she'll kill you and your stupid pack of mutts too!"

Dane turned back and gave her a look of deep revulsion. "You don't even understand how disgustingly pathetic you are. You call us the mutts when you're nothing but a well-trained bitch too busy begging at your owner's feet to think about what she's telling you to do."

"You don't know what Cinder has done for me!" she shouted after him, slowly starting to stalk after him in the darkened woods after retrieving her weapons. "I never knew my parents, I never had _connections_ – I lived on the streets for eighteen years! She saved me! She was the only person who ever gave a damn about me, so what the fuck do you know about my relationship with her?"

"I'd rather live on the street than be you!" he shot back, spinning to face her again. "You have no idea what growing up in Atlas as a faunus was like. You have _no idea_." Dane ripped his shirt back, revealing a series of puckered scars on his chest. "I was the _only_ faunus in the top tear of Atlas Academy. For years, I got nothing but abuse until my _own teammates_ took it upon themselves to torture me until I agreed to drop out!"

"What do you want from me, _animal_ , sympathy?" Emerald sneered back.

Dane shook his head and flipped her off. "Go crawl back to your owner. Cinder won't kill me because I have what she wants, just like the only reason she hasn't kicked you to the curb is because of your pretty little illusions."

Enraged beyond words, Emerald let out a primal shriek. Dane fell into a low defensive position as the world around him dissolved. "Oh, Dane," a feminine voice crooned. Cinder Fall slowly rose into the air in a plume of flame before him, smoldering as the world around them burned. "You've been _such_ a bad kitty."

"Fuck off, Emerald," he said, fighting to keep his calm. _It's an illusion, it's just an illusion._ "I know this isn't real."

"Why, of course it isn't." Cinder slowly smirked as the air around him grew hotter and hotter. "But this pain will be."

The flames rushed in to engulf him, scorching his body. Dane screamed from the agony of electric fire splitting his veins. He fell to the ground and convulsed, shaking under the hallucination's weight and Emerald's mind was blank and his eyesight faded to black before the clearing abruptly reappeared.

By the time he was able to pull his head off the ground and look around, Emerald was long gone.

* * *

 **[A/N] I'm back! School was wearing me too thin, so I needed a mental health break – of course that happened to land right before spring break, so I've been away for a bit too. Thank you for all the kind words since I've been gone, you guys rock :)**

 **Second, 400 FOLLOWERS?! Y'all are inside, thank you so much.**

 **Third, this is a 9k chapter, which is just absurd. There was just a lot of development that needed to happen here, plus a few fluffier moments I really like.**

 **Please review – your feedback is tremendous and we're getting close to the end of Volume Three. Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter, and I can't wait to be back next week (hopefully on time)!**

 **Signing off, Allie**

 **(P.S. - if you want updates when I miss a chapter, check out my tumblr Allison Illuminated, link in bio)**

* * *

 **LIKE RE:BOUND? FOLLOW RE:BOUND PLUS FOR DELETED SCENES, HEADCANONS, AND MUCH MORE!**

* * *

 **Estimated Update Day: 4/7/18**


	27. V3 - Destiny

Volume Three, Chapter Seven: Destiny

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 4/22/18

* * *

 **[A/N] First, this fic is now officially rated M. I've been toeing that line for a while, but I felt this chapter pushed it over the edge.**

 **Second, since I don't want to spoil anything in the trigger warnings, consider all the warnings to be in full effect for the next four chapters.**

* * *

Lavender blossoms spilled down the hillside, gently sloping across the meadow and into the endless blue sea. Their fingers intertwined, heather gently dusting their fingertips as Neo pressed their hands to the soft ground. Clouds danced through the sky, curling red aura tinting the monochrome wisps. Ruby hummed in satisfaction as Neo's lips left hers, a hint of strawberries lingering tantalizingly in the air. _Do it again…_

"Maybe I want to keep you in suspense," Neo murmured, relaxing and letting her head rest on her neck. Her voice, lyrical as always, fed the glow that had come to live in Ruby's chest, the peace and beauty she could only find in their shared mental space.

A warm breeze blew across the shoreline, blowing pink hair into her face. Ruby laughed as she reached to brush it away. _That's no fair!_

"Whoever said I had to be fair about it?" Rolling off of her, Neo leaned back against the hill to trace the clouds with an outstretched finger. The world shifted at her touch, endlessly spilling away into the ocean. "I'm going to take you here, someday."

Ruby watched her with a sideways glance, smiling softly at the far-off gaze in her eyes. "You took Roman to this beach too, didn't you?"

She nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"What was he like?" Neo stirred, and she quickly added, "You just haven't shown me any of your memories of him, and I was wondering, cause you say you were in love a lot…"

"Roman…" A cloud shaped like a cane drifted by before bursting into vapor with an idle flick of Neo's fingers. "He… Well, he was nothing like you. He was a selfish asshole crimelord, but he cared about me in a way nobody but Raven ever had. I- I will show you, but-" She sighed and sat up, twisting around to meet Ruby's eyes. _You have to see why Raven left first._

Line Break

Chills ran through Neo's chest, her bedraggled clothing clinging to her frame like wet tissue paper. Clouds shadowed the sky, trees slowly giving way to the Augustine Tribe's wooden palisades. Going invisible, she crept through the open gate past the guard, who was lazily lounging on a wooden crate playing solitaire. Breathing lightly, she moved as fast as she dared back towards the main tent.

 _I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away from Branwen._

Neo bit back a shriek as Augustus' hand shot out from his tent and grabbed her collar. Twisting it tight around her neck, he pushed her against a wooden pole. _Wait, no, please, I-_

 _Show me._ She struggled for a moment, but the green light ripped the memory out of her no matter how hard she tried to resist. Augustus paused for a moment as he watched, then his face darkened in fury and he slapped her hard with his free hand. Shoving his face close to hers, he spat, "You betrayed me. I gave you chance after chance to serve me better than the others, and you just gave it up."

"I-"

"You told her to kill you!" Ripping her off the ground by her shirt, he flung her out of the tent. Neo hit the ground hard, rolling to a stop in the middle of the encampment. Curious bandits crept out of their tents, scared to face their leader's fury yet too curious to stay in. _Stay_.

Coughing, she pushed herself off the ground, dirt clinging to her shirt. Augustus strode out of his tent spinning a sword around at his side. Unable to move from the spot she had landed, she could only watch in horror as he drew nearer. _Please, I didn't mean to be like that, please don't-_

 _Shut up._ Green, then silence. _You told me that you would be mine unbroken. You kissed my fucking feet after I killed your little rapist. Clearly, my faith in you was misguided._ Squatting down before her, he lifted her head up to meet his intense purple eyes before punching her down into the ground.

Turning to the crowd, he roared, "Let this be a lesson to anyone stupid enough to betray _my_ tribe!" _Stand up._ The bandits jeered as she glowed green again, staggering to her feet with mud clinging to her clothes. _Turn around._ Tears rolled down her face, and she already knew what was coming next.

Steel bit into her shoulder, slowly dragging across her back before leaving her skin on her other hip. The world faded to black around her, marked only by the distant sounds of screaming. It wasn't until after she collapsed to the ground and reactivated her aura that she realized that she had been the one screaming.

Augustus watched her impassively as her aura slowly eased her pain, turning her screams to whimpers. After a moment, he said, "Deactivate your aura." When murmurs ran through the crowd, he added, "Let the scar stand as a reminder of what happens if you make Neopolitan's mistake!"

Neo barely registered as he picked her up and carried her back to the main tent. She let him drop her limp form onto her bed, flinching as he loomed over her. _You think that's your entire punishment, do you? When I'm done with you, you're_ never _going to see your 'mother' ever again! Now, this is what you're going to do…_

* * *

 _So that's how you got the big scar on your back…_

 _It still hurts, you know? If he had let my aura heal it, it wouldn't look any different from the other scars, but he just wanted me to hurt._

 _I'll never let anyone hurt you like that again! Ever!_

 _...you're too good for me, Rose._

 _You can't say that. I won't let you say that._

 _But it's true-_

 _Nope. You deserve the world, Neo, and don't ever believe anything else._

* * *

"What did you do to her?"

Cheerful breakfast conversation ground to an instant halt. Ren stopped trying to pull Nora off of him, Weiss froze, and Blake, Yang, and Neo all turned to stare at Jaune, whose intense gaze was fixated on the girl in the stained red cloak before him.

Slowly, Ruby set her tray down on the table but didn't sit. There was only one thing he could have meant by the hostile tone in his voice. "I didn't know. I didn't know what was going to happen, or else I would have stopped it," she said quietly.

"Weiss told you, didn't she?" Blake asked, reaching a hand out to him which was quickly batted away.

"Yeah, well maybe I don't give a damn about what Weiss said."

Weiss flinched and leaned in towards Yang, shooting a frosty look from Ruby to Jaune. "Jaune, please. You have a fight and we have the last protest meeting to attend today, so can we all just… relax, a little bit? Ruby, Violet saved you a seat, sit down."

Warily, Ruby settled into the seat beside Neo. Her bondmate squeezed her hand under the table, maintaining her cool facade as Blake narrowed her eyes at them. _I knew this would make Jaune hate me more than he already does._

 _Just ignore him._

 _Maybe if I had taken you up at the beginning of the year this wouldn't be such a problem-_

 _And he would be dead, you would actually be a murderer, and all the bullshit would probably have happened anyways._ Neo's pure brown eyes never left the tray before her, committing to maintaining her illusion of indifference.

"No."

Weiss's grip on her cup tightened, and she glared at Jaune. In a cool voice that would have stopped Ruby in her tracks, she said, "Jaune. I _told_ you to relax."

"You didn't answer my question, _Rose_." The blonde boy's armor slumped against his skinnier frame as he rose, making him look younger than his years. Dark circles marred his eyes, blighted blue and pinched eyebrows.

 _Rose._ The silver emblem hung heavy on Ruby's belt; _Crescent Rose melted into a pile of slag under Harkan's black blade, Summer Rose leaving Ruby behind forever, Neo_ _'s body pressed against hers whispering comfortingly meaningless words in the night._ Fierce possessiveness swelled within her – rising to her feet, she snapped, "Nobody but Ne- Violet gets to call me Rose, _Arc_."

Everybody turned to Neo, who blushed but straightened her back and shifted closer to Ruby. Jaune growled and clenched his fists, shaking his momentary confusion off. "I asked you, what did you do to my girlfriend?"

"What did _I_ do? I tried to stop her from getting into this!" Ruby's voice had become a yell, and students around her began to whisper: _"Black Rose! Wonder who she's gonna kill this time?"_ Seeing red, she whipped around and stalked towards Russel Thrush, who immediately blanched and held his hands up in fear.

"Oi, Petals." The voice was Dane's, who leaned back in his seat and gave her an infuriating smirk. "Try not to kill more of the dumbasses Oz and Ironwood saddled me with, okay?"

In an instant, her fury was turned to him. "I did not kill Cardin and you know that!"

He shrugged, his fur rippling as he flexed his arms. "Sure, but do you honestly think these dumbasses know that?"

"Hey, that's not very nice!" Sky whined from across the table, earning him identical glares from Ruby and Dane.

"Bullshit!" Jaune jerked out of Ren's reach when his teammate attempted to use his semblance on him. "I know you know things. Things you shouldn't know, can't know- I-"

"Maybe you didn't hear me, but I told you both to STOP!" Jaune and Ruby both froze at the sheer venom in Weiss' tone, and even Dane couldn't help but shiver. The Schnee Heiress took a deep breath, then said curtly, "I am your leader, and you will _listen_ to me. Jaune, this isn't Ruby's fault, so would you please calm down?"

"You're not my leader," Jaune muttered, flushing at the petulance in his own voice. " _I_ am the leader of Team JNPR, not you, and _I_ am protecting-"

"Jaune? What's going on?"

Pyrrha stood at a distance from the two teams, fully outfitted in her combat gear. Ruby held herself back from running to hug her; she could easily the fear that flickered through her eyes and her stomach twisted at the separation. "Pyr-"

"Don't talk to her."

At that, Nora and Weiss both sprang to their feet. Weiss got in between Jaune and Ruby, and Nora ran to Pyrrha's side. "C'mon Jaune, listen. Everyone says you shouldn't blame Ruby, can't we all just be nice-"

"This is _not my fault_ ," Ruby snarled, her aura flaring around her. Now everybody was standing, drawing attention from around the room. Neo went to hold her back as Ren did the same for Jaune, leaving only Yang and Blake quietly talking at a safe distance.

"Jaune." Pyrrha clasped her hands tightly, unable to meet his eyes. "Ruby is right. This isn't her fault."

Jaune flinched, then his gaze hardened. "But she hurt you, didn't she."

Pyrrha could only respond with silence. Ruby bowed her head, looking up at her through her hair. "Pyrrha..." Neo instinctively moved to comfort her, which only made Pyrrha withdraw further.

"I made a promise." Jaune shouldered past Ren and stopped short of Weiss, forcing Ruby to look up at him. "You remember what I told you in January."

Seeing the world through red film turned Jaune's hair crimson and his eyes purple, searing his anger into her memory. She could feel Neo trying to soothe her and blocked her out. "I remember."

"What promise? What did you tell Ruby?" Pyrrha asked.

"I told her if she ever hurt you, I would make her pay for it."

The cold silence that followed was broken only by a furious Glynda stalking over to their group. "Students, stop this immediately!"

"Ruby Rose, I challenge you!" Jaune yelled.

"No! Jaune Arc, are you _insane?"_ Weiss shrieked,

Glynda went white as a sheet. "Mr. Arc, you don't _seriously_ intend to issue a formal challenge in the middle of the Vytal Festival when both of your teams are otherwise engaged, do you?"

"Jaune, I just told you it's not her fault!" Pyrrha said, stepping towards him. "Please, we have a match today. I'm okay, really. Don't do this."

He shook his head. "I don't have a choice. An Arc _always_ keeps his word."

Neo stared blankly at Jaune. _He's insane. He's actually insane. Hell, he even knows what you can do._

 _If we fight, I'm going to kick his ass._

 _This isn't even going to be a competition._

"I accept." Ruby's voice was cold as Neo let her pull away and move to face Jaune directly.

"Weiss, c'mon, get out of the way," Yang muttered, pulling her out from between the two combatants.

Weiss let herself be pulled away, shooting both of her friends intense glares. "I _cannot_ believe you two have to do this _today,_ of all days. Can't you wait for two days until the protest and the tournament end?"

Pyrrha, Blake, Ruby, Neo, and Glynda all shook their heads at the same time. "Jaune, _please_ don't do this," Pyrrha pleaded, only to be met with stoic silence. "Please, you're my boyfriend and Ruby's my best friend, you can't do this to me when I have to fight in front of the whole world in three hours!"

"You know what she's done to me! How can you take _her_ side?" Jaune asked her, a hint of desperation creeping into his tone.

Pyrrha shook her head. "You don't understand, you don't know what's happening-"

"So just tell me!"

"I-"

"Miss Nikos." Glynda's tone carried a thinly veiled threat, and Pyrrha squeezed her eyes shut.

"Please, Jaune."

Something broke in Jaune's expression and he turned away from his girlfriend. "Then if you accept, _Rose,_ I want to fight you _now_."

* * *

"You're angry."

Oh, Weiss wasn't angry. She was _furious_. Blake recoiled at the malice in her eye as she snapped, "They are two of the least aware idiots I have ever met! Why?! Why today?"

Team WBYR and Team JNPR stood at the edge of the practice arena, watching Ruby and Jaune prepare to fight. Half of the school had followed the feuding duo out of the cafeteria to watch the duel, and Weiss could feel eyes boring into her back, judging her. _I am the leader, and maybe if I wasn't so incompetent I could have stopped them from doing_ this!

Warm arms wrapped around her, and Weiss let herself fall into Yang's embrace. "This isn't your fault. You _know_ they've hated each other since last November, it was only a matter of time..."

"Can't you talk Ruby out of it?" Weiss whispered.

Yang laughed, too harsh and too short for her to find any humor in it. "I barely even know Rubes anymore, why would she listen to me?" Blake looked like she wanted to argue, but bit her tongue instead.

"Blake?"

Throwing her arm around her other teammates, Blake whispered, "I know what Ruby did to Jaune and what just happened with Pyrrha. The worst part of all this is that they're both right. There's no way we can talk either of them out of this."

Standing slightly apart from WBY, Ren and Nora were trying to comfort Pyrrha, who was sitting with her head in her hands. "Pyrrha, what's wrong?"

"Don't you get it?" she whispered back to Nora. "Jaune is going to lose, and he's going to hate Ruby even more for it."

On the battlefield, Neo watched Jaune pace back and forth impassively. Years of experience molding her face into impartial masks served her well here, especially as Glynda came to her side and murmured, "Neo, you know you're going to have to sit in the stands."

 _No, I'm not._ Concentrating, she made her illusory text scrawl across Glynda's eyes – a challenge, but not impossible for her skill with her semblance. _"Ruby won't let the battle go on for that long."_

"You may be right," the deputy headmistress responded, "but you are still a student for all considered purposes, and no matter your… unique situation, I will still treat you as such."

 _"And I won't be leaving this battlefield until Rose wins this. Wanna try to make me?"_

Neo gave Glynda her best smirk, which was met with a resigned sigh. Turning back to Ruby and Jaune, she called, "Alright, let's get this over with! First aura into the red loses, and if either of you ends up in the infirmary Professor Ozpin _will_ have something to say about it!"

Ruby rose from the bench she had been sitting on and drew her hood back. Drawing Rising Thorn's gun form, she loaded it at supersonic speed and rested the bump stock on her shoulder to check the scope. Compared to her assault rifle, Crocea Mors seemed harmless in Jaune's hands, as if a child had picked up a piece of scrap metal to play. "You don't have to do this, Jaune."

He didn't respond, but set his jaw and settled into a practiced ready stance instead. _I taught him that._ Something akin to disgust twisted into a scorn she had once received from Neo, once given to Jaune. She could feel Neo's caution flare, but ignored it. I _f he won't back down, I_ _'m not going to concede a fight I know I can win_ _!_

"Begin!"

Before Jaune had time to make a move, Ruby had already begun to unleash a flood of bullets towards him. Flinging his shield up to catch the flood, he dove to one side but to no avail. Slowly his aura started to drop, from a hundred to eighty in a minute. Ruby paused when her clip ran out, giving Jaune an opportunity to sprint forwards with Crocea Mors.

Rising Thorn's blade erupted to catch his strike, Ruby's eyes like flint as her naginata spun around her body. Slowly, she started to ramp up her strikes – Jaune could catch each one at first, but was stumbling backwards trying to counter before she even activated her semblance.

In the stands, Pyrrha shook her head and got to her feet. "I can't watch this. I'm going back to the dorm."

Jaune caught a glimpse of Pyrrha leaving and redoubled his efforts. It was mostly pointless, as Ruby just upped her speed to keep up with him. Finally, in a last ditch effort, he managed to lock their blades and leaned in towards Ruby. Glaring back up at him, she asked, "Why are you doing this, Jaune?"

"You hurt-"

"Yeah, and so did you." Activating her semblance, she sprinted away from him, causing him to topple forwards. Laughter rippled the crowd, and he slammed his fist against the ground before staggering back to his feet. "She needs you right now, and you're doing _this_ instead."

"Stop toying with me!" he yelled.

"You know what? Fine." Ruby activated the dust mechanism in her blade and shot forwards, knocking him sideways into a wall. The screen declared her victory as he slumped to the ground. " _I_ am going to go talk to _your_ girlfriend." Without waiting for his reaction, she spun around and stalked away from Jaune, who hung his head in shame and defeat.

* * *

The grindstone bit into Milo's cool steel, sharpening it to a fine point. The blade had taken down countless opponents, hordes of Grimm, yet today it felt lifeless in Pyrrha's hand. Focusing on the task at hand, she quietly asked, "What are you doing here, Ruby?"

"I'm sorry." Ruby leaned back against the bench next to her, Rising Thorn hitting the metal lining with a metallic clink. "I didn't want to fight him, not today."

Pyrrha shook her head. "It's not your fault, I don't blame you. Jaune- he really hates you, you know. For a long time, I thought he was overreacting, but not I don't know what to think. I don't know what to think about anything anymore."

Reaching down, Ruby pulled her corset up slightly so Pyrrha could see the pink line running across her skin. "That was the night I snapped. Neo was still training me on her terms, and we both lost it. She hurt me. I hurt her back. I- That was how I trained Jaune, too. I didn't get a proper night's sleep for months, because I would wake up at one to train with Neo for two hours, then wake Jaune up right after that and train him for an hour and a half. I needed an outlet. At first, I tried to ignore what Neo wanted me to do and really help him, like when Qrow taught me how to use Crescent Rose. After that, though, as Neo got worse and worse, so did I."

"You hurt people."

"I've killed people."

"Those are two different things."

"Are they?"

"I'm going to lose myself if I become Fall," Pyrrha whispered, vocalizing the fears that had been spinning in her head all night.

Ruby sighed, pushing away and pacing behind her. "I tried to apologize to him once. Really apologize. The day before the dance. He told me that we would never be friends, that if I ever hurt people he would make me pay for it. I told him I would never. That's why they call me Black Rose, isn't it? Everyone knows how fucked up I am. How fucked up we are. It feels like Neo is the only person I can ever tell the truth to, sometimes."

"You're not-"

"Not right now, no. But I was." A thunk came from behind her; without looking, she knew her friend had stabbed one of the practice dummies. "When I snapped, I was. I killed Cardin. I didn't give the final blow, but I killed him. And I'm okay right now, but someday I'll snap again and somebody else will die."

"But-"

"We almost killed Jaune." Pyrrha immediately shut up. "It was the first day of class. I didn't know who Neo was. I didn't know who I was. You introduced me to him in the cafeteria. Neo had her sword to his throat the entire time. She knew about his transcripts from the start; I think she was spying on Ozpin, but she hasn't told me yet. She was grieving over Roman, and she wasn't thinking straight. She wanted to make me like them so she could hate me for killing him. I made her stand down, but I thought about it. They would have had to kill us then, once they realized we had killed again."

"You hurt him, but..." Pyrrha trailed off, and Ruby's lips twisted into a cold smirk.

"Those are two different things, aren't they?"

"My whole life, I've believed in destiny," she whispered, pulling Milo away from the stone and placing Akouo in it's stead. "How can I turn this down? How can I refuse to be the maiden when I know what'll happen if I do? How is this a choice?"

"Destiny isn't a choice, Pyr," Ruby responded softly, coming to stand behind her. "Isn't that the whole point? That everything is predetermined, that you have no free will…"

"I believe in destiny," she repeated, hollow voices ringing through the weapons room.

"Then you'll be the next maiden, and we'll stand with you for the rest of all of our lives."

"But I'll hurt you. I'll hurt all of us." The grindstone stopped turning below her, and her shield slipped from her hands and clattered to the ground.

"No." In the darkness, Ruby's silver eyes seemed to burn. "We know what we're up against. You'll kill us, but that will _never_ make you a murderer."

"I don't understand." She was crying now, her tears staining the ragged stone. "You've killed."

"Yeah, I have. So has Neo. Sometimes, there isn't a choice." Ruby left her side and pulled her weapon out of the dummy, gears shifting as she did. "Some things are worth dying for. Some things are worth killing for. But hurting other people always hurts. Always."

"Who are you?" Pyrrha whispered, rising with her head bowed. "You aren't Ruby."

Two fingers gently lifted her chin up, and she shuddered as Neo pulled her into a tight hug. "We're here for you, Pyrrha. No matter what happens, we'll be here for you, both of us. We promise."

* * *

"And Dane Lilac and Russel Thrust are decisively defeated by Pyrrha Nikos after managing to take down Nora Valkyrie! I must say, Dr. Oobleck, I have _never_ seen Miss Nikos at this sheer level of skill and expertise."

"Indeed, Peter! We cannot wait to see Miss Nikos compete in the finals tomorrow, where she seeks to take home her sixth major tournament trophy! Now, onto the next battle!"

* * *

Faunus streamed out of the convention center in a river of buzzing chatter and energy. After a day of sign making and planning, the protesters were more than ready for tomorrow. However, as a particular group of huntresses exited the building, they were given a large berth.

"Unbelievable. Just unbelievable," Weiss snarled as Ruby and Yang tried to calm her down. "I am not my father! I am putting my life and position on the line to protect this _fucking_ protest, and this is what I get? Slurs, insults, and death threats?"

"Weiss-"

"No, I will not calm down!" she snapped, slapping Yang's hand away. "The White Fang have been waging war on my family for years, and this is what I get when I try to mend the divide!"

"Weiss. They need time to adjust." Blake stopped their forward progress and grabbed her shoulder. "There is blood on _both sides_ of this conflict, not just your family."

"I know that-"

"Then use your head, okay?" Blake took a second to compose herself. "Weiss, we _need_ you to lead us tomorrow. There are five of us and a whole lot more people we need to protect. You've done such a good job setting your prejudice aside, but they're not as rational as you, okay? We're _angry_. Tukson is dead. The stupid fucking video got people crazy, and this protest is a keg of powder waiting to ignite. If I wasn't your teammate, you probably would have been dragged off and killed already."

Weiss' face twisted in muted rage, but she held her tongue. Yang stepped between her teammates and said, "Look, guys, let's just calm down and get back to Beacon, 'kay? Arguing is going to get us-"

"Blake."

Everyone spun around to see Ilia standing behind them, defiantly glaring at the cat faunus. Blake 's eyes lit up, and she asked, "What is it?"

Ruby and Neo parted as she came closer. "I need to talk to you alone. Now." Blake's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Ilia quickly added, "Adam doesn't know I'm going to tell you this. Please, it's urgent."

Blake shot Weiss then Ruby a quick look. When both of them subtly nodded, she sighed and said, "Fine, make it quick."

As a group, WBYRV walked to the side of the flow of people until it was safe for the two faunus to slip away unnoticed. Skirting the edge of the convention center, Ilia pulled Blake into a small alcove. "Blake, I-"

"Let's make something clear," Blake hissed. "If this is about Yang, I don't want to hear it. If this is about Adam, I was underage and he took advantage of me."

Ilia gaped at her. "But, you always said how much he-"

Blake groaned in exasperation. "You're kidding me. You were my best friend, Ilia, but I've never liked you. I'm not going to let you hold an abusive relationship over my head as a reason to have me. Now, I have better places to be, so when you have something else to say to me, you-"

"Wait." Ilia had turned bright red when she grabbed Blake's wrist. "I- I had no idea that you and Adam were like that."

"Really? I was fourteen, he was twenty-three. How hard is that to see?" _That's basically the age difference between Neo and Ruby,_ the back of her mind whispered.

 _Ugh, I can talk to them about their problems later._

"I was stupid."

"Yeah," Blake said, laughing slightly. "You were." She tried to leave again, but Ilia held her in place.

"Blake, that's not what I came to tell you about." Ilia leaned closer and whispered, "During the protest, there's going to be an attack. I mean, not like a little attack or some racist with a gun, a real, full-scale, everyone-in-Vale-will-be-in-danger kind of attack."

Blake's eyes widened. "I know."

"How do you know?!"

"How do _you_ know?!"

Ilia's voice dropped even lower. "I heard Adam talking about it with some other people. They- they almost caught me, too. I don't know what their plans are, I just know that it's happening."

"Adam? What does Adam have to do with this?!" Blake almost yelled in horror before clapping a hand over her mouth. Running through the possibilities, a shiver of fear ran down her back. "Who was he talking to?"

"I do-"

"Tell me!" Blake fought to keep the fear out of her eyes, but knew she was failing.

Ilia backed away in fear. "I- I don't know who they were! There was a really hot woman in a red dress and this creepy pale-faced guy with a really big sword. That's all I know, I swear. Do you- do you know what's happening?"

The sound that escaped her mouth was one of terror. Fighting to keep herself from hyperventilating, Blake managed to squeak out an "I have to go" before turning around and sprinting away.

When she reached Team WBYRV, she only stopped for long enough to say one word: "Run."

The five girls sprinted through Vale at top speeds, nobody confident enough in their safety to question Blake. The airship back to Vale was about to take off when they burst inside. Weiss practically collapsed into a seat, and everyone else stood panting as they caught their breath. "What's going on?" Yang asked.

Blake shot her uninformed teammates a scared glance, then ran to Ruby and whispered into her ear, "The White Fang is going to be a part of the attack. Adam was talking to Cinder and Harkan. We have to get to Ozpin. Now."

Ruby staggered away from Blake and exchanged a glance with Neo. At this point, Weiss and Yang were both staring at them in fear and confusion. "What's going on?" Weiss asked before her face lit up in realization. "Wait, does this have something to do with what you can't tell us?"

Ruby and Blake could only nod to that.

* * *

"That… that is grave news indeed," Ozpin said slowly. Rising from his chair, he turned and looked out the window at Vale. "This deception runs deeper than I had thought."

"What can we do?" Ruby asked.

"Prepare. Watch Adam closely at the protest. Above all, take commands only from us – me, Qrow, Glynda, or James. If all of us become incapacitated, you can trust Winter."

"That's it?" Blake walked forwards and slammed her hands on the desk. "Professor, the Fang is _dangerous!_ Innocent people are going to be at this protest! My parents are going to be there! We have to call it off!"

"And how exactly do you propose to do that, Miss Belladonna?" Ozpin asked.

"You are one of the most powerful people in the world!"

"And if we tell a million angry faunus they can't have their protest, there'll be a riot," Ruby said quietly.

Blake whipped around to face her. "That's better than a massacre!"

Ozpin massaged his temples. "You are all young, all three of you. You should not have to be tasked with this – no, burdened with this. However, some things are beyond my control. Clearly something has been happening behind the scenes, something we have been to blind to stop before it is already too late.|"

 _"Why are you being so candid now?"_ Neo's floating text accusingly asked. _"Why not when we could have made an actual difference?"_

The immortal headmaster sighed. "I can only hope this will not be the case, but it seems now that your team will have to fight tomorrow. Deception now can only harm you, not protect as has always been my intention. All we can do now is maintain calm and hope that our defenses have fully prepared us for battle."

"Pyrrha will be ready," Ruby whispered, and Ozpin nodded.

"You may go. Sleep, spend time with your team." Fearful and downcast, the three students left Ozpin's office deep in thought. After they were long gone, he quietly added, "I'm sorry."

* * *

Dane dispassionately stared down at his collapsed teammates in the center of his dorm room. _Y'know, as much as I hated these racist losers, it'd have been nice to get to insult them one last time…_ "You really couldn't have chosen a less climactic way of doing this, huh? We're not even going to get to see them die."

"You said you wanted them dead," Emerald scoffed. "You should be thanking me, Mutt. Honestly, I'm surprised you even managed to get the sleeping drug and the toxin in their food, with your brain capacity."

"Holy. Fucking. Shit. Do you two _ever_ shut up?" Mercury asked, lazily reading one of Dove's comic books. "We're waiting on you, Lilac. Whenever you're done fighting, we have a _job_ to do."

"Yeah, let's do our job." Walking over to Mercury, Dane let his fingers press against the assassin's bare skin and _pushed_ with his aura. Mercury's appearance rippled, then slowly changed to take on Russel's appearance. Mercury looked from his body to the collapsed student in the pile and grunted appreciatively. Turning away from Mercury, he shot Emerald a predatory grin. "What are you waiting for, Gem? Get over here so I can get you ready."

"Fuck you."

"Dane."

Throwing a scowl at Mercury, he snapped, "I am not your fucking mutt. _I_ have the power right now. As far as I'm fucking concerned, you work for _me_ right now. Now, we're not going anywhere until Gem gets her ass off that bed."

Biting back a scream of frustration, Emerald got off the bed and stomped towards him. "When this is over, the _first_ thing Cinder is-"

"You know Cinder probably knows all about your crush on her, right?" Dane asked casually. "Do you honestly think you're anything but her bitch? Do you even listen to yourself talk?"

"Just use your stupid semblance so we can-"

Placing his fingers on her neck, he laughed as he lifted her leather choker up to reveal the deep purple bruise beneath. "I guess one time being choked wasn't enough, huh? You don't need to settle for this silly leather thing, I'll happily strangle you myself."

Emerald went straight for his balls. "Wanna try me?" she snarled, squeezing and twisting.

A kick to Dane's back set him and Emerald to the ground in a discoordinated pile. "If you two are done with the foreplay yet, we're going to blow this if we stay here any longer," Mercury said, kicking them again for good measure.

Before Emerald could react, Dane had snaked his hand up her shirt and used his semblance. Deliberately standing on her leg as rose, he said, "Get these loser's clothes on. The stuff they're wearing, not from the closet. I have one last time to screw with them, and they're going to have some serious questions when they wake up."

Five minutes later, Dane closed the door on his team in a more than compromising position, he and Mercury both struggling to hide their laughter. Emerald was too busy sharpening Dove's sword in her most threatening way possible, trying to burn a hole in the back of his head.

Making their way through the school, he lead them outside past the entrance to Beacon to the docks. An airship bearing the Atlesian military logo waited there; the Atlesian soldier nodded as they entered the aircraft. Dane couldn't help but smirk. _I still can't believe how easy it was to appeal to Ironwood's ego. Oh, my teammates want to meet you, could we all come to tea today?_

The aircraft rose into the air and swiftly cut towards the flagship. Once they arrived, another soldier came to escort them from the hanger to the general's office. The halls of the ship were a clean white, and periodically they would pass another soldier guarding a room or corridor. Dane held his shoulders high, sneering at any soldiers that gave him a dirty look as he passed.

He knew they were looking at his fur. He wouldn't have worn a tank top otherwise.

"Are they here to see the general?" the single guard outside the door asked.

"Yeah, private meeting," the soldier who had escorted them said before leaving them at the door.

Exchanging looks with Emerald and Mercury, Dane pushed the door open and stepped inside. _Let's do this._

Ironwood was standing at his window when they entered. Turning around, his haggard expression lightened slightly and he gave them a wan smile. "Dane, I was wondering when you and your friends would arrive. You must be Russel and Dove." Stepping forwards, he offered them his hand. "James Ironwood, it's a pleasure."

 _Friends, that's a good one._ Dane watched impassively as Emerald fought to hide her disgust shaking his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, General."

"General," Mercury said gruffly. Dane really had to hold a laugh back as Emerald realized she could have dropped the politesse and have been fine.

James gestured for them to sit, picking up a tea tray and setting it down on his coffee table. "I wanted to congratulate you on your performance in the Vytal Festival. Miss Nikos is an admirable opponent, so there's no shame in losing to her and Miss Valkyrie."

As Mercury started babbling about the battle, Dane shot Emerald a nod. _It's time._ She nodded, then closed her eyes. A second later, they snapped back open and she quietly rose from her seat.

"So, Dove, how did you feel about your teammate's performance?" James asked, turning to the spot she had been moments earlier. A few moments passed, and he said, "Fascinating. Please, tell me about the strategy you planned for the first round. Your defeat of one of my best teams, while… disappointed, was still very well executed."

Satisfied that the general was having a conversation with empty space, Dane gave Emerald another nod and she quietly slid the door to the room open. There was a brief commotion outside, followed by some scuffling and a sickening thud. Emerald came back into the room dragging the body of the guard and dumped him on the gray carpet. Immediately, she began to strip, pulling Dove's clothes off and putting the dead guard's uniform on as fast as possible. Normally Dane would have leered at her, but he was too preoccupied with maintaining the illusion to mess with his least favorite person's head today.

The entire time, Ironwood noticed nothing.

Subtly, Emerald walked over to Dane and slipped her fingers into his hand. Pushing his aura into her, her appearance shifted to mirror the dead guard's. Donning his helmet, she flipped him off then stepped outside, sliding the door shut after her.

"So, Dane-"

 _It's time._ Cutting Ironwood off, he said, "Actually, General, I have a question for you."

James was taken aback, even more so when Dane rose from his seat and flexed his forearm. Leopard fur rippled in the twilight like shining oil, turning away from the light to the shadowed corners of the office. "Of course, any time you want to talk, I'm always here for you."

Face deep in the shadows, he asked, "How much do you really know about what happened at your academy four years ago?"

Ironwood frowned. "I thought we already discussed this."

Dane nodded slowly. "My parents died in an anti-faunus riot in Mantle when I was six."

"I'm… sorry."

"Sure." Walking to where the general had been watching Vale, Dane looked out, wondering what exactly it was that Ironwood saw. "Maybe I would believe that if it hadn't been led by your own soldiers. They were huntsmen too, you know? 'Course they couldn't go to Atlas, no faunus could, but the Mantle schools are better than yours. Your military is so busy keeping your precious capital and mines safe you barely bother to help the poorer parts of your kingdom. We had to be stronger, or else the Grimm would have destroyed our city ages ago. Of course, I was convinced otherwise. I was convinced that if I could just integrate into Atlas Academy, I would somehow avenge my parent's death and make them proud. Do you know what they did to me?"

"Dane-"

Marching up to where the general sat, Dane roared, "I asked you IF YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO ME?"

James rose from his seat with narrowed eyes. "Of course I know. I presided over you in the infirmary to protect you."

"I worked with everything I had from the day they were murdered to get in. The _only_ reason I did is because I won your stupid yearly tournament." His fury boiling over, Dane ripped his shirt off. On his chest, a scarred 'A' had been branded into his chest. "Every day. Threats, insults, attacks, little things. Nobody ever did anything to stop it. The worst came from my own teammates. My own fucking partner. One day, I guess something snapped cause I woke up in the middle of the night strapped down to my own bed. Do you want to hear about how they tortured me? Do you want to hear how they-"

"And I am sorry-" Ironwood began before Dane flipped him off.

"You're not sorry. You're just as much of a racist bastard as the rest of them. If you were sorry, you would have expelled my teammates for branding me as an animal for the rest of my life! Why did they stay while I was asked to leave 'for my own safety,' huh? Who was supposed to guaranteeing that safety? Who's goddamn fault was this? _Yours._ "

"Dane, you will calm down. Now," James snapped.

"So I joined the Fang." Those were the cue words, and Emerald dropped the illusion.

James lurched forwards as Dove disappeared and the body of his dead guard appeared in the middle of the room. Dane had carefully positioned himself in between the general and his desk, and now Mercury stood as well. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked quietly, drawing his gun from his side holster.

"At first, we protested. We smashed shit. We destroyed your robots and mines. We freed faunus. That was more than you ever did for Faunus. You know Atlas is sixty percent faunus, right? There was _so much_ anger just waiting for us to tap. The Fang started in Mistral and Menagerie, but Atlas always the biggest branch. Belladonna was a good leader, but it was time for change." Dane's smirk grew even bigger. "Sienna Khan moved us in the right direction. We started giving humans a taste of their own medicine, and that was even better."

Ironwood evenly pointed his gun at Mercury. "Stand down now. Both of you are under arrest for suspected murder."

Snapping his fingers for show, Dane dropped the illusion on Mercury. James staggered at the sight of the supposedly-dead hunter, who gave him a vicious smirk. "Suspected murder? Oh, I can promise you it's a lot more than that."

Ironwood looked between the two, then shouted, "Guards!"

"Sorry _general_ , but I'm afraid you're on your own for this one," Emerald drawled from the door.

Backing up, the general positioned himself so he could see all three of them. "Who are you working for?"

"See, the White Fang hasn't been an organization for a while, James. We have dust. Resources. Things have been changing, you know that." Leaning back against Ironwood's desk, he started ticking off fingers. "Having a semblance that changes appearances is useful, you know. Shoot a butler in the head and take his place, and the murder turns into an assassination. If a faunus blows a mine up, it's terror – a human doing the same thing is 'righteous anger.' SDC won't say it, but we've been making change in Atlas. You know why your teams did shit in this tournament? We've been killing all your teachers. Mines are going down, Mantle is thriving, and we're winning the SDC war."

"You never left the White Fang, did you?" James asked.

Dane barked in laughter. "Did you and your little circle honestly think that I needed your stupid human academies to teach me how to fight? I _won_ the Atlas tournament before I was even in the academies. And I wasn't in the White Fang. I _led_ the White Fang."

"You-"

"Dane Lilac, Commander of the Mantle branch of the White Fang," Dane announced, baring his fur as long claws slid from his fingers. Drawing a long knife from his boot, he gave the general a savage grin. "And I've been waiting to kill you for a very long time, James Ironwood."

Nodding to Emerald, she narrowed her eyes. Ironwood cried out in alarm, shooting his gun at the window. Mercury laughed as he casually walked towards the general, kicked the gun out of his hands, and kicked him down to his knees. Still trapped in the illusion, James screamed at the top of his lungs as Mercury swiftly broke one arm and went for the other. Finding it to be entirely metal, he pulled it back and pressed his boot against it.

Emerald released him from the illusion, and his head slumped down in pain. Dane slowly walked forwards and lifted it up to force the general to look at him. "Paranoia's a beautiful thing, James. Your soldiers are going to give us the boost we need to watch your world burn. Your soundproof office means nobody's going to find your body until it's too late."

"I had faith in you, Dane," Ironwood spat, coughing up blood from the kick to the back. "I fought for you to get into my academy. I tried to kick your partner out for what he did for you. I'm the _only_ reason you didn't get the death penalty half a dozen times in the White Fang! This is how you repay me? Don't you care about the people here? Don't you care about protecting Vale? You're working with Cinder Fall, aren't you?"

Dane slapped the general, letting his claws rake down his angular face. "Fire Bitch has what I want. Her little minions are standing behind you. Such a shame you didn't make sure your _precious_ Professor Lionheart didn't turncoat, huh? Maybe if you cared about the people in your country other than Jacques Schnee's coffers and the council, we'd be having a different conversation."

"You won't get away with this," James snarled. "Ozpin will stop you."

"But that's the best part of this, isn't it?" Dane whispered, leaning closer. "The fact is, we've already won. Now, you let my team carve a letter into my chest. Let's see how you like the way an entire word feels."

When the knife pierced his chest, Ironwood could do nothing but scream.

* * *

The phone rang urgently, and Dane smirked as he read the caller ID. The Atlesian military uniform ran smoothly along his now metallic arm. Reaching over and picking it up, he said, "Yes, this is Ironwood."

"James, there's been a development," Ozpin said, his voice filled with static through the phone line.

Molding into a perfect model of concern, he asked, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"The White Fang will be a part of tomorrow's attack."

"What?!" Dane shouted in genuine surprise. _How do they know about that? Is that… Oh, this just makes my job even easier._ A smug grin slowly growing, he asked, "What do you want me to do?"

"Can you increase the human presence at the protest?" the most powerful man in the world asked.

"I can do even better than that," Dane murmured. "I can be there myself."

"What? James, yo-"

Turning the call off, Dane turned his gaze away from where Emerald and Mercury were busy putting Ironwood's body into a body bag and looked out over Vale. _This is the way it's supposed to be._

 _Everything is about to change._

* * *

"Jaune?"

Pyrrha hovered at the head of the hallway as Jaune looked up at her. He had been leaning against the door to their dorm, and now unsteadily got to his feet. "I was waiting for you to come back. Ren and Nora are asleep."

"I have to fight tomorrow," she said, not meeting his eyes as she made for the door.

Jaune caught her shoulder before she could turn the knob. "Please, Pyr… I'm sorry. Can we just talk for a little bit, please?" She shot him a tormented look, then grabbed his hand and dragged him away from their dorm room. Wandering through the halls, she pulled him into Team BLVE's former dorm room and shut the door.

"I asked you not to fight, Jaune. I don't need protection from my best friend! I don't need you to protect me! If anything, I'm the one who should be protecting you." Pyrrha turned away from him and started pacing.

"I made a pro-"

"Which you _didn't tell me about_! _Make her pay?_ Jaune, what was that even supposed to mean?" she asked incredulously, throwing her hands in the air. "I- I didn't need that, today. I didn't want that today. We're in the middle of a tournament and I'm about to-" she caught herself mid-sentence and looked away from him.

"You're my girlfriend. I'm supposed to protect you," he said uncertainly, hanging his head in shame.

"Jaune..." Leaning back against the wall, she sighed and said, "Ruby and I are the two strongest huntresses in our year, maybe even the entire school. I trust her with my life. Both of us have trained you, you already knew how the fight was going to end before it began. Why? Why would you do that? I told you it wasn't her fault! I told you I couldn't tell you what happened!"

"Because maybe I wanted to be strong for somebody else for once in my life, okay?" Jaune exploded, getting to his feet. "My sisters all were naturals at combat, and I was always the weak one! Ren and Nora and you and WBYR are all amazing, and I don't even belong here! I spent the first semester getting pushed around by Cardin and Ruby, and this semester it barely feels like anyone here knows or cares that I exist! Is that so wrong? To want to matter?"

"So attacking my best friend right before a globally broadcasted tournament fight is the way you do it?" Pyrrha cried indignantly. "Was it even about me or was it about her? You were just using me to settle your stupid grudge with her!"

"You know what she did to me!"

"So you don't give a shit about me?" she yelled back.

Jaune looked like he had been struck. "Of course I d-"

"Well, you did a shit job of showing it." Pyrrha couldn't remember the last time she had _ever_ been so angry. Clenching her fists to keep from letting her polarity run wild, she said, "I am not something to be protected. I've _never_ wanted to be protected, or to protect anyone. I just want someone to see me as a fucking equal! And you know what? That person has been Ruby. Always."

"Pyrrha..."

"I've never _cared_ how strong you are, Jaune," she said, her voice taking on a plaintive tone. "You've been so angry lately, and I don't get it. Where is the Jaune who danced on the roof to Destiny Blue with me? Where did my friend go?"

"I'm still that person," he protested, but she ignored him.

"Maybe if you can't find him again, this isn't going to work."

Jaune stared at her for a moment then burst into tears. In that moment, Pyrrha realized that she had gone too far. The fight went out of her body, and she found herself sitting at his side trying to comfort him.

"I-I'm sorry," he sobbed. "It's, you, you're my only really close friend, and you've done so much for me and you're my girlfriend, and I- I- I just want to do something for you for once, and I failed, and- I-"

"You have done something for me, Jaune," Pyrrha whispered. "Just by being you and letting me be me, that's all I've ever wanted. You and Ruby are everything to me, _both_ of you. You don't have to be the hero all the time."

"I'm scared, Pyr," he whispered back. "You and Ruby… Something's happening and I don't know anything about it besides the fact that you're involved now. It's dangerous, isn't it?" Pyrrha nodded somberly. "I want to be there for you. I want to be at your side. I want to be someone you can rely on. I would do anything for you. Anything. I just don't know how because I don't know anything."

"Do you believe in destiny?" Pyrrha asked.

"What? What do you mean?"

Her voice shook as she said, "Tomorrow. I- I'm going to do something dangerous because if I don't, people are going to be in danger. It- we don't know if it's going to work. And- and if it does work, I might not be… me anymore. But I have to do it. There's nothing else I can do."

"D-die?"

"Please, Jaune." Pyrrha's green eyes were heavy with tears she refused to shed again. "I don't need a hero right now. I just need- I want someone to see me, be-because I don't know if I'll get another chance after this."

Jaune's look of horror and sadness was almost too much, and he pulled her into a tight wordless hug. When they finally broke apart, he murmured, "This… You're going to be the hero… That's why you think it's your destiny. Oh, Pyrrha..." He shook his head. "I've had it backward this whole time."

"Please," she whispered, "I don't want to be alone tonight. Can you just be Jaune for me, even if it's just for a little bit longer?"

Broken, Jaune nodded. Already grieving for the battle not yet fought, they fell into each other under the light of the shattered moon.

* * *

 **[A/N] The last three chapters have all been over 8k. For a fic that's supposed to have 5k chapters, that's a lot. I came dangerously close to burning out trying to get this done, and that would have been an awful feeling. Therefore, I'm going to be moving back to an every other week update schedule until volume three is done. Thank you for all your kind comments and understanding in my absence.**

 **As I said above, this fic is officially M now. It probably has been on the T/M line the whole time, but now I felt the mature content has just reached a critical mass.**

 **Dane's arc finally comes to a head, and Ironwood is dead. Against any one of the three, he probably could have won, but together he didn't really stand a chance.**

 **Also, yeah, WBYR had _no idea_ the White Fang are involved in Cinder's plot. They never fight at the docks, they never did Painting the Town, and they never went to Mountain Glenn. **

**Thank you for 300 favorites. Also, this story has 422 follows on 4/22 (happy Earth Day!), which is mildly interesting. Please review, your motivation keeps this story coming**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 5/5/18**


	28. V3 - Revelation

Volume Three, Chapter Eight: Revelation

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 5/5/18

* * *

"It's time."

* * *

Wind cut the trees down – was cutting, had cut, it didn't really matter when the entire forest was down in the brush. The hurricane had passed, even though nobody had realized it was a hurricane until it was already too late. A world steeped in mud seemed to cave in on itself, sinking always deeper into the ancient sea set apart by flagging crags and defiance. Sinking, always sinking.

There had been ice here, once, every winter. The ocean never frosted over.

That shopkeeper had been an utterly unremarkable woman in a town whose name was already lost. Dirty face, dirty hands, worn and wan, her presence had barely seemed to register as her town burned and her husband screamed around her. Details always faded in the ash; one by one, red then black then gone. It had been about boots and it had never been about boots. A grand tour of nothing, each item a mediocre product of misdirected work, as if her life was a grandiose joke served only for its final mockery. She had died all the same, and she had burned all the same.

Would the ash have blown, in the storm? Thick and coating, sinking into everything and rising as the once-pristine boots sank into the mire. It clung to the grime, the blood, every time Neo's sword had sunk into her chest. Once for each lien demanded, once for each lien denied. Life weighted in a purchase, the punchline failed, discarded, lost to the mud.

Neo stumbled through the desolate forest. Brackish water pooled around her, the cold seeping into her bones and adding the mind-numbing pain and exhaustion she felt. Augustus' commands had been final; she would not stop, she would not rest. The open wound on her back burned with a crushing intensity as if she was crumbling away from reality. She had no choice, nothing she could do to fight back or escape.

Not until her weakness summoned the only thing she had left to love.

He had forced it out of her. She had put up every mental defense she had in a feeble attempt to protect her memories, but she was helpless to the green light. Some things he had savored, forcing her to watch them over and over and over and…

 _Watching her father get cut down and her mother dragged away._

 _The day she had been bound._

 _The first time Starling had hit her._

 _The first time she had killed._

 _Watching the Branwens, who she had come to love as an adoptive family, tear themselves apart._

 _The first time she slept in Silas' metal cage._

 _The first time she had killed a family. It was always the little girl who stared back in her nightmares, the girl she had seen herself in._

 _Three. Everything Three did to her, how he used her._

 _She never threw up when she killed after Three. She barely even knew her victims half the time. She hit puberty late, but with it came newfound strength and agility. Invisible, she was deadly. Sometimes it was assassinations, sometimes it was entire opposing tribes._

 _He used her._ _Bandits in Anima were scattered, disunified. The Branwen and Augustine tribes fell into a power grab at the same time. First she had killed a hundred, then two hundred, then she lost track. First there were eighty tribes, then fifty, then ten. How many had fallen by her_ _blade_ _?_

Neo had never been able to remember when she lost count.

Raven's semblance was rather unique, all things considered. Being able to create a weak aura bond to allow her to teleport directly to someone had served her well over the years. She also knew when people were endangered or dead – the bond didn't break with death, rather clung to the residue aura signature left behind for the ages. Now Augustus forced her to the brink of death in the middle of nowhere so Raven would have no choice but to come.

The swirling portal burst open and Raven exploded out wielding her drawn sword. Finding nobody to fight, she turned to Neo, eyes widening at her appearance. "What happened?" she whispered, rushing forwards and pulling her into a hug.

Unable to help herself, she let out a cry with the sharp pain from her back. Raven flinched away when she turned to show her the massive injury. "He did this."

Raven stared at the exposed flesh for a long moment, then screamed in primal rage. Staggering away from Neo, she erupted into a column of blue flame. "NO! I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL FUCKING-"

Neo's body glowed emerald, and suddenly the cold steel of her dagger tickled her throat. Raven froze as she silently struggled against Augustine's commands with everything she had and lost. Blood trickled down her dirty bruised throat, seeping into her ruined clothing. "I told you to kill me. I wanted you to kill me. I wanted you to set me free," she said hollowly. "If you loved me, you wouldn't have sent me back to him."

Raven made to move towards her. Before she understood what was happening, her dagger snaked down and opened a deep cut on her arm. "Make another move, and I'll kill myself," Augustus said through her.

"He's controlling you," Raven realized, freezing. The fire in her eyes died, and she sagged. "You knew I would come. You planned for this. What do you want from me?"

"Who am I, Raven?" Neo asked, her hand trembling as her dagger rose back to her throat. "Who was I before you made me into this?"

Raven's face contorted in pain and sadness. "Please, Augustus, don't do this-"

"He took it. He took everything." Her throat burned and she bit back tears. "He destroyed all my memories of them. I can't remember anything before the day- the- the day _you_ killed them. What was their name? What was my name? Why can't I remember any of it anymore?"

"You- you can't remember?" Her adoptive mother tried to take another step, then caught herself. "But-"

"Answer me!"

"I don't understand! Bella Green! Your name is Bella Green!" Raven shouted as her arm glowed a threatening green. "Please, please don't kill yourself."

 _Bella Green._ Neo took in the name hungrily, immediately turning inwards to search for any recognition. Frantically, she tried to find any memory, something to calm her rocketing pulse, and found nothing. It was a name, nothing more, nothing less; she had never heard it in her entire life. "You're lying!" she screamed on her own accord, her eyes changing colors faster than any other time in her life.

Fear tainted her horror, and the fire returned to engulf Raven. "What do you mean, I'm lying? I've been using your name for eight years! Of course I know what your name is, Bella!"

"Shut up! All you've ever called me is Neo!" she screamed back. "I had a life, and you took that away! You named me after a bowl of fucking ice cream!"

"Oh my god. You really don't know. How can you not remember your own name?" Raven said in horror, backing away.

"Know what?!"

Against her will, Raven started to cry. "We figured out your name the second Father bonded to you, Bella. Maybe I called you Neo at first, but it's been _years_ since I've used it as anything but a nickname. You have to know that. I'm your mother, I would never-"

"You're not my mom." Green flared around Neo, giving her no choice but to speak. "I had a mom. The only thing I can remember about her is watching her get dragged off into an alley by your men."

"Bella-"

"THAT'S NOT MY NAME!" Neo shrieked. "I DON'T CARE WHAT HE DID TO ME, I WOULD KNOW MY OWN NAME! WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER? WHY IS HE TAKING IT ALL AWAY FROM ME?! NEVER CALL ME THAT AGAIN!"

"B-"

"GO AWAY!" Neo's back arched as she screamed, exploding with green light and illusions and pain. Raven could only watch as she toppled sideways into the mud only to immediately be forced back to her feet. Her breath coming in heaving gasps, her eyes glowed green and she said, "If you ever try to come and see me again, try to call me that again, I'll kill myself."

Raven was freely crying now. Slowly, she reached a hand out towards Neo only for the dagger to press closer to her adoptive daughter's throat. The moment seemed to stretch for eternity until Raven finally let out a half-sob and drew her sword. "I love you, B-Neo."

Augustus relaxed his presence, and Neo suddenly felt a deep fatigue beyond anything she had ever felt before. "Just go," she whispered, turning away from Raven and bowing her head to the destruction before her. "Just go away and never come back."

A strangled sob, a whispered apology, the rip of a portal, then nothing was left but the violent wind and Augustus.

* * *

And Neo was still screaming as they awoke, jolted out of her memory and into reality. Ruby flung herself at her bondmate, clinging to her tightly as the bunk bed shook below them. _It's okay he's dead nobody will ever fucking hurt you like that again I swear on my life I love you you're okay Raven can come whenever we need her to and nothing can ever change that again._ She directed her stream of conscious with as much happiness and love as she could muster, trying desperately to calm the girl in her arms.

Neo broke.

Losing complete control over her semblance, the room exploded into twisting amorphous illusions that shattered as they spun into the wall, filling the room with glittering blue aura dust. Neo's hands dug into her shirt, searching for any purchase they could find. The roaring tempest of emotions, restrained for months and months even when they broke free, burst to the forefront as she pulled the loose fabric to her face and screamed into it.

The lights flickered on, and voices filled the room. "Violet, what's wrong?" Blake asked urgently as Weiss and Yang ran to her bedside.

Ruby paid them no attention as she continued trying to calm Neo. Instinctively she knew forcing her to do anything through the bond would irreparably hurt their relationship, so she did everything else she could possibly think of. _I'm here I'm here please just let me talk to you._ Something shifted, and Ruby froze as Yang and Weiss both gasped and backed away from the bed. Looking down at the pink and brown hair cascading down her chest, she cursed and whispered, _Neo, your disguise dropped! Weiss and Yang can see you, you have to-_

"Yang, lock the door," Weiss snapped in an oddly disaffected tone. Yang ran and slammed the door shut just as Team JNPR tried to come into the dorm room. The leader made to grab Myrtenaster, but Blake got there first and pointed Weiss' weapon back at her.

"Weiss Schnee, calm down," Blake hissed. Weiss and Yang both backed away from the faunus before making a mad dash for their weapons. Moments later, she had Ember Cecila and Gambol Shroud both pointed at her.

Yang's eyes burned red as she cocked her gauntlets. "Who the fuck is that and why is she in my sister's bed?"

"Calm the fuck down!" Blake snapped. Her weapon wavered in Weiss' grip, and icy blue eyes stared back at her with questioning fear. "Please, something's happened, I swear we'll explain but let them calm down first."

Meanwhile, Neo and Ruby had both relaxed slightly and were now crying freely into each other's arms. _He did it to me. He did all of it to me. I never tried to be like Silas or Three to you, I never tried to rape you or beat you or any of that but- but- I wanted you to hate me, I wanted it Rose, I wanted it so badly because Roman was dead and I hated myself and I hated the world but I couldn't hate you because I_ knew _you, I knew your whole life the second you killed him and I couldn't hate you!_

 _Neo-_

 _I did everything he did to me. I trained you harder and harder and harder and I made you do more and more until I knew you wouldn't be able to do it anymore. I hurt you, I hurt your side and down your back and I took your aura away so you could never heal them right. I made you live it all again, every shitty memory I could find but I hated that you barely had any so I made you watch Summer leave and Qrow save you because nothing else ever came close to what he made me watch._

 _You're not like Augustus,_ Ruby whispered fiercely.

 _I don't know what's real. I don't know if a single fucking one of my memories is real or not. He ripped it out of my head. He just fucking destroyed it. I don't know who the fuck Bella Green is. I can't remember anything before they took me, I can't remember all the times Raven told me about when I left you to stay with her. She told me she treated me like a real daughter, that she took care of me and gave me things and spent time with me and protected me from Starling and I can't remember any of it! He took them! He took both of my moms away! The only reason I remember Raven at all is because he died the day after!_

Ruby cried even harder, shaking her head as she rocked Neo back and forth. _You're real. You're fucking real. Nobody can take that away. How the fuck can somebody take that away?_

 _That's the only time I can remember anyone ever calling me Bella. When he made me drive her away. It didn't even feel like she fucking knew me!_ Neo had tried to scream the last part aloud, but tongueless it sounded like a wordless shriek. _I drove her away! I told her to kill me so I couldn't, and I had to drive her away! And she- She wasn't- She wasn't just the daughter of the first one who took pity on me. She wasn't. She was my_ mom _. She took care of me. She called me_ Bella _and he changed it all to NEO because I'M A FUCKING SLAVE AND I DON'T GET TO HAVE A MOM OR A REAL NAME!_

Blake, Yang, and Weiss all cried in alarm as Neo drew back and punched the wall. Before she could throw another punch, Ruby shot forward and pinned her to the bed. _No! I'm not going to let you hurt yourself._

 _I WANTED TO DIE! I WANTED HER TO KILL ME SO I COULD STILL BE ME AND NOW I'M NOT AND I_ _ **NEVER FUCKING WILL BE!**_ Neo started trying to thrash under her grip. Ruby pinned her to the bed with her full body weight, desperately pressing her head against her neck.

"I love you, Neo!" she shouted, unable to get her thoughts across the wordless noise filling their bond. "Raven loves you, you're you and nothing can change that! _Listen to me!"_

Yang went deathly still as Blake blanched. In a dangerously low voice, she growled, "Did she just say my mother's name?"

"Did she just say 'I love you?'" Weiss asked quietly, putting Blake on the spot.

"I don't-" Blake looked like she was on the verge of breaking down herself. "I don't know what's happening. Yang, please, can you relax long enough for us to get answers?"

It was too late; Yang's eyes had already turned red. "Us? There is no 'us.' This is the big secret, I assume? Or is there _another_ secret roommate you've been hiding from us? Is she even Ruby anymore? _What the fuck is going on?_ "

"Yang." A black blade turned towards her, and Weiss gave her a steely look. "We _will_ get answers, but you will not attack your sister or your girlfriend."

Yang stared at the blade her best friend held at her throat, and betrayal filled her eyes as they turned lilac again. "You know too?"

"No, but I am the leader of Team WBYR," Weiss snapped, "and the last time we got into a fight we almost fell apart. Everybody is going sit down and take a deep breath while I talk to whoever is outside." Blake and Yang both hesitated, then sat down on beds at opposite ends of the room. Taking a deep breath and tuning out Ruby and Neo's sobs, she stalked to the door and opened it enough for her to step out and shut it behind her. Ren and Nora were clustered around the door, and she shot them a level glance. "We're having a crisis. Stay out of it."

Ren offered a hesitant hand. "If you want, I could try to use my semblance?"

Weiss shook her head. "Thank you, but we have to handle this alone. Please, get some sleep." Not waiting for another response, she stepped back into the room and locked the door again.

 _I want to be someone,_ Neo finally managed to say after she had calmed down slightly. _I can't keep living like this._

 _You a-_

 _No, I'm not! I don't know_ how _to be someone._

 _I don't understand,_ Ruby admitted, running her fingers through Neo's hair and rocking her back and forth.

 _All I can remember is being used by other people. With Them, I couldn't even choose to live my own life, and with Roman I was so scarred by it that I_ willingly _did everything They had forced me to do because I didn't know how else to live! Even with you, everything and anything I do revolves around you. Yeah, you don't order me around anymore but I'm still with you helping you all the time. Sometimes…_ Her mental voice faded. _Sometimes I feel like I don't even exist. Like I'm just a voice in your head. You need somebody, you're so young and naive and I'm just some sub-conscious helper keeping you alive, or a split identity from the trauma when you killed Roman, or- or-_

 _Oh, Neo…_ Guilt blossomed in her chest and her crying intensified once again. _I would do anything for you, you know that! You're so much more_ _than just a voice!_

 _But I can't talk to anyone. You and Raven are literally the only people who even remotely know me. He did it right after that. Cut my tongue out. The last thing I ever said aloud was telling my mother that if she tried_ _to find me, I would kill myself. I'm nobody in this world. The only people who give a damn are you, her, and all the families of the hundreds of people I've murdered._

 _That's not true! Weiss and Yang and Blake care about you – hell, even_ Dane _cares about you in his own way. We can come up with more ways that you can talk to-_

Neo shook her head. _You're missing the point. I never have_ goals _or_ hopes _or_ dreams. _All we ever talk about is your life. Hell, all that's really mattered to me for the past nine months is your life! And that's not your fault, it's because I'm barely even a real person! I just- I just wanna be real, for once in my life._

Ruby pulled away enough to meet Neo's eyes, her heart breaking with the devastation she found there. _Neo, I would do anything for you. If- If you feel like that- I- I don't want you to feel like we never do anything for you. Let me be the person helping you, then!_

 _But I don't know what I want,_ she admitted. _That night last fall, when you made me pancakes… That was the first time I asked for anything since, well, years ago. Maybe not even since Silas._

Ruby just sighed and leaned further into Neo, too numbed by the stream of revelations to let it pull her back under. _Fuck. Neo, I- If I tell you what you want, it's me wanting it, right? Not you? I think you have to be the one who figures that out._

Silence fell between them for a brief moment.

 _I never showed that memory to Roman. I never showed him anything about Augustine at all, or Raven, or any of it. He never figured he could force it out of me, and I never told him._

 _Why not?_

 _Because I was afraid. I was afraid if I didn't rob for him, kill for him, be his perfect henchman and girlfriend that he would treat me just like They did._ Neo's arms wrapped around Ruby and hugged her tight. _I don't think I ever really loved him. I don't think I've ever really loved anybody but you._

 _If it makes you feel any better, neither have I?_ Ruby offered, getting a choking laugh out of Neo.

 _It's just… I told you I was going to show you everything, but all that I have is what Augustus left me._ _I wish I had more. I want to get more. I want to_ be _more. I want to know what he took from me. I want to know who I was. I want to know who Raven really was to me. And…_

 _And?_

Neo's eyes were pure pink as she said, _I want to know who Bella Green really was._

Ruby took a deep breath, tension slipping from her shoulders. _Yeah. Yeah, we can do that. I… All of the memories… Everything you showed me this spring, he messed with all of it…_

 _The only stuff I_ know _is true is everything with you and Roman._ _I gave up on ever getting the rest back years ago._

 _Do you want me to call you-_

 _No._ Neo's gaze was longing but resolute. _Maybe someday, but for right now I'm still just Neo. I… I don't know. I don't know whether I've been called Neo my whole life, or, y'know, what Mom said, but… I intend to find out._

 _We_ will _find out,_ Ruby echoed.

 _Besides, I'm not a person yet, remember?_ Neo said, cracking a half-smile that came out as an even more twisted smirk than usual. _I'm Neo. They use me to kill people. Of course, you're not one of Them. I- I'll figure it out, and then maybe I'll be real enough to have a real name._

 _Yeah. I know you will._

 _Besides, can you honestly see me as a_ Bella? Neo scoffed. Ruby laughed, shaking her head and wiping her tears away.

 _Thank you for showing me. I love you._

 _Me too._ Neo hesitated for a moment, then leaned down and gently kissed Ruby. Then she froze. _Wait, are the lights on?_

 _Holy shit. We were in the dorm the whole time, weren't we?_

Ruby and Neo sat up to find Yang, Weiss, and Blake all staring at them. "So," Weiss said coolly, "Now that you two are done with your meltdown, I think you better tell us who you've been sleeping with for the last three months, Ruby."

Ruby and Neo exchanged a glance. _Fuck._ Slowly, Ruby realized exactly what had just happened. "Um, so I guess you guys know the big secret now?"

Yang glared at Neo as she rose. "You're not our cousin. Who are you and why the fuck are you kissing my sister?!"

 _Well, technically Raven is my adoptive mom, so we kinda are cousins… Wait, no, that would make me Yang's sister…_

 _Ew, Neo! Gross!_

 _I'm not wrong…_

Doing her best to purge that thought from her mind, Ruby nervously said, "This is Neo? We're kind of, um, daaating? AndalsoIcanhearallofherthoughtsbecausewe'reaurabondedandit'skindofreallycomplicated?"

Weiss' eyes widened. "Please tell me you didn't just say 'aura bond.'"

Ruby shrugged with a sheepish wince. "Kinda?"

"Oh my god." Weiss looked from Ruby to Neo and back, then sank back onto the bed with her hand on her temples. "That means- Oh, that's why you didn't want anyone to know. Holy shit. I-"

"Did Weiss just curse?" Blake murmured aloud as Yang interjected.

"Can somebody tell me what the hell is going on? What's an aura bond?"

Ruby and Blake both started trying to answer, but to everyone's surprise Weiss beat them to it. "It's, well, it's _very_ illegal. In Atlas, you would be put to death if the government ever found out, so I think I understand why you kept it a secret until now. My Father made me learn about it with my history tutor. Centuries before the great war, a man of great power and his close friend tried to combat the Grimm with an aura bond, and instead they created what people call the Lich. Nobody knows what happened exactly, but suddenly a man who could control the Grimm began to slaughter all people with aura bonds along with anyone who got into his path. The people in the towns – this was medieval times, they didn't know how to use dust and the kingdoms didn't properly exist yet – started to kill the bonded to keep the Lich away."

Everyone stared at Weiss. "How do you know all that?" Ruby asked in mild awe.

Reaching for a hair tie, Weiss pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail. "If you hadn't notice, I do actually _enjoy_ some of our classes beyond just combat," she scoffed, rolling her eyes at her partner. "Anyways, that law is ancient and absolute. These days, killing the bonded is huntsman work. There's a registry for people who have a semblance that lets them create them."

"What happened to the Lich?" Blake asked, shooting Ruby a furtive glance.

"Well, there have been recorded sightings of a Grimm-like man throughout history, and since Grimm can live forever, it's generally held that the Lich is… immortal..." Weiss trailed off as horrified recognition crossed her face. "Oh my god. The man… That _thing_ that almost took our plane down on our mission, you don't think..."

 _No._ Neo shook her head. _No no no. She can't mean…_

"Harkan?" Blake whispered in horror.

"He's been trying to kill us since the beginning," Ruby said, instinctively grabbing Neo's hand. "It took him less than a week to find us after I killed Roman. When we fought him in Forever Fall, he said- He said he wanted to take Neo. He killed Cardin and Emmy and Merc and destroyed Crescent and _oh my fucking god_."

"I'm sorry," Yang said, looking from one person to the other. "You're telling me that the person who _almost killed us_ less than a month ago is actually an immortal Grimm man who's hunting down my sister, who just happens to have an extremely illegal aura bond punishable by _execution_!?"

"Yeah, that seems like a pretty good summary," Blake mumbled.

"And what exactly does this aura bond do?" she asked weakly, her gauntlets digging into the soft mattress below her.

"Neo and I are connected," Ruby said, almost laughing at the intense wave of relief that washed over her. After months of hiding from her sister, finally getting to admit it was liberating. "We can hear each other's thoughts and give each other aura, to heal and stuff like that. Emotions too, I guess. We can see what the other is doing, and she can see all of my memories. I can see some of hers too, but only when she lets me. And I… can force her to do stuff against her will, but she can't do the same to me."

Yang stared at them in muted silence, her shocked gaze tearing Ruby's heart. It was in that moment that she realized just how far she and Yang had drifted apart. Before, they were nigh on inseparable. Her older sister was her rock, her confidante, her friend when she had nobody else. Now, it was impossible to ignore the distance that had opened between them.

When had their relationship fallen apart?

Weiss had propped her arm up against the desk, her eyes shut tight. "I have so many questions I don't- I can't even- You hear some of her thoughts, or-"

"Everything," Ruby interrupted softly, squeezing Neo's hand. "I know her, like _know her_ know her, and she knows me better than I do."

 _"Yang. Weiss."_ The text shimmered in the air as Neo gently pushed of the bed, letting Ruby go as she forced the blonde to look at her. _"You don't know me, but I've been your teammate for longer than you've known 'Violet.'_ _We don't like that we had to keep this a secret. Ruby and I almost tried to kill Ozpin when he told us we couldn't tell you. The only reason Blake knew-"_

"I have insomnia. She talks in her sleep," Blake muttered, unable to meet Yang's gaze. "It all went downhill from there. I walked in on them training, she knew I was a faunus, I ran, we fought, and then we fought again the day we came back from break. That was when Ozpin figured it out."

"You knew." Yang slowly rose from her bed, barely containing her shaking as she did so. "My girlfriend and my sister, and you _didn't fucking tell me_?!"

"Yang." Weiss' voice carried a dangerous edge, and she rose from her chair as well.

"You don't think we wanted to?" Ruby snapped, jumping off her bed to take Neo's side. "You have _no idea_ how fucking complicated this is, Sis."

"Who knows?"

"All five of us, Ozpin, Ironwood, Glynda." Ruby ticked off fingers, then paused before hesitantly saying, "Winter. Qrow. Dad. Pyrrha."

"Pyrrha?" Weiss screeched, her calm facade momentarily forgotten. "My sister?!"

"Dad?! You told Dad and not me?!" Yang was somewhere between devastated and murderous, and Weiss had to snake Gambol Shroud back out as she rose her fists.

"I swear to god, Yang, I will hold this sword at your throat if that's what we need to stay calm," Weiss snapped before whipping around to Ruby. "Tell us everything. How are you bonded?"

"I killed Roman Torchwick."

Weiss and Yang stared at Ruby, who had said it in a blank tone. Sighing, Neo signed, _"Aura bonds aren't equal. The bonder holds the bond, and it only can be broken if either the bonder or bonded dies. If the bonder dies, the bond passed either to their killer or the last person in their thoughts. Ruby killed Roman, so I was rebound to her."_

"Roman Torchwick could make aura bonds? How?"

"No," Ruby said. "Roman didn't bind Neo."

 _"Ruby is the sixth person I've been bound to."_

"Six. Six people," Weiss repeated dumbly. "Were they all like… Torchwick?"

Everyone but Ruby flinched back when Neo laughed, a harsh scratchy sound from her crying and missing tongue. _"No. All of them were worse. Much, much worse."_ Images of Augustus flickered back and forth between Neo and Ruby, the memory too fresh in both of their minds to be pushed aside.

"Who were they?" Yang asked quietly, her fury momentarily set aside as her sense of empathy overrode her temper.

 _Shit. How can we answer that?_ Ruby and Neo looked at each other, then down to Blake, who was on the verge of tears. "Blake?"

The faunus shook her head, still unable to look at Yang. "You two are the bonded ones, I just got dragged along. You have to decide, not me."

 _What do we do?_

 _She's my_ mom, _Ruby._

 _She's Yang's mom too!_

 _How can we hide Raven?_

 _We can't, can we?_

"You know, I'm so sick of you two and your silent conversations." Ruby and Neo were jolted out of their thoughts to see Weiss glaring at them. "Honestly, is this why you've been such a terrible partner, Ruby? All this time you've ignored me, I assumed you were just depressed, even after Vi-Neo joined our team. Have you two just been in your own world the whole time? I'm not even really your partner, am I? It's been her this whole time."

Ruby frowned. "Weiss, you are-"

"You train with her. You talk only to her. You spend every waking moment clinging to her like a lost puppy. Hell, you two sleep in the same bed!" Weiss shook her head. "You know, this entire time, I've felt like _I'm_ a shitty partner because I haven't been doing enough to help you! Have you even noticed me trying to help? Even when we're alone, did you _ever_ pay any attention to me?"

"Of course I do!" she exclaimed, but her words rang hollow. "Weiss, you're my-"

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "That was a rhetorical question. I already know the answer. I'm sick of you hiding things from me, Ruby Rose. I was there for you. I'm the only reason you haven't failed your academics this year. I have done nothing but support you and lead you but you have given me _nothing_!"

"Weiss, please calm down," Blake murmured, but she was ignored by the Schnee heiress.

"No, I will not 'calm down,'" Weiss said, scornfully making air quotes as she said the last two words. "You're not a part of _my_ team and you never have been! I was the only person left out in initiation. _I_ was the one who held us together as we were falling apart. _I_ spent my entire fucking life learning how to be a fucking leader, and when I finally got my chance _you_ were the reason that everything is falling apart around me! You are the reason I'm alone! Do you think I _wanted_ to be a leader? Do you think I _wanted_ to watch my teammate almost die? Do you think I wanted to be responsible for the deaths of two people on my first training mission?!"

"Weiss..." Ruby whispered.

"NO! I never wanted this! I never wanted to be a leader! I never wanted to have a team! I never wanted to use my father's stupid fucking book! I just wanted to have a normal fucking life for once in my life, and _this_ is what I get for _daring_ to hope I can be something other than what my father has been making me into for my entire life!" Weiss took a deep breath, then let her voice drop to a deathly calm. "So, Ruby, no more secrets. No more silent conversations. Just answer the stupid question that Yang asked."

Ruby and Neo both gaped at Weiss, who stared back defiantly. _She… really_ _doesn't want to be a leader?_ Yang walked over and wrapped Weiss into a tight hug, but the leader gave her no acknowledgment.

 _We just have to tell her._

"It was a man named Starling, um..."

"Starling? Just Starling?"

"No," Ruby whispered. "Starling Branwen."

Dead silence.

"I'm sorry," Yang said in a strangely high-pitched voice. "Did you just say _Branwen_? Like, Qrow Branwen? Like, my mom Branwen?"

Helplessly, Ruby shrugged. "He was kind of their dad?"

"My GRANDFATHER made an illegal aura bond!?" Yang shrieked, breaking apart from Weiss and staring at Neo like she had grown a second head. "You know my family?!"

Neo flushed, scratching the back of her neck. _"I was kind of at your baby shower?"_

"At my baby shower?" Yang repeated in disbelief. "You've known me for my entire life?"

 _"I lived with the Branwen tribe for almost four years. Starling bonded me right before M-Raven got pregnant."_ Neo blushed even deeper, then said, _"I was bonded when I was six. Raven told me that when you turned one and a half and I was nine, Tai and Raven used to let me babysit you sometimes."_

Ruby turned and stared at Neo. _Really? Tai let_ you _babysit? I thought he was scared of you._

She got a bitter smirk in return. _Addled memories, remember? That's just what Mom told me, I don't actually remember babysitting ever._

Staggering backward, Yang collapsed onto the bed and leaned against the wall. "That's- I- Wow, okay, I- Hold on a second. Tribe? You _know_ Mom?"

 _It's impossible to tell them the truth unless we tell them who Raven really is to you,_ Ruby said to Neo, who shot back a pulse of acknowledgment. _Yang's going to go ballistic. God. Do you want to tell her or should I?_

 _You tell her. She obviously doesn't trust me yet._

Deciding to go for the safer answer first, Ruby said, "Yeah, um, Raven kinda runs the biggest tribe of bandits in Anima. They call her the Nevermore Queen?"

"Wait." Yang's eyes widened, and she pointed an accusatory finger from Ruby to Neo to Blake. "You _know_ where my mom is, don't you?"

Blake cast her eyes to the ground as Ruby wordlessly nodded.

 _"It has_ nothing _to do with you, Yang,"_ Neo's text declared, and she defiantly crossed her arms across her chest.

"Nothing to do with me? She's my mother, how-"

 _"Yeah, well she's mine too, okay?"_

Weiss and Yang stared at the text. "Excuse me?" Yang asked in a dangerously low tone.

Neo took a step forward, meeting Yang's gaze dead on. _"I said, Raven Branwen is my adoptive mother_ _, and she has been for longer than_ you've _been alive._ _"_

Yang was struck silent, at an utter loss for words as she looked from Ruby to Neo and back again. "You're lying."

 _"Why the fuck would I lie about this?"_

"So you've seen her? Did she abandon you too?" Yang's voice carried a note of bewildered hope – before Ruby could latch onto it, Neo was already shutting her sister down.

 _"Yang, I'm sorry, we-"_ Neo bowed her head as she said, _"I lost Raven for a couple years before we found her again in January. We've been seeing her ever since."_

"We?"

"All three of us," Ruby murmured.

Yang laughed shakily, looking from one person to the other. "So my half-sister has been sleeping with my adoptive sister and secretly visiting my mother who I've been searching for my _entire fucking life._ With my girlfriend. Is that what you're telling me?"

"It's more complicated than that, but that's the jist of it, yeah," Ruby said feebly.

"More complicated? How could this possibly get any more complicated?" Yang shouted, throwing her hands in the air.

 _"_ _We know why Mom left Tai."_

One quick summary of Neo's time with Starling later and Raven and Tai's breakup later, Yang was curled up on her bed with Weiss trying to comfort her. "She promised to stay away from me," she mumbled, shaking her head. "Dad made her stay away for sixteen years because of a stupid fight."

"We all wanted to tell you, Yang. Ozpin was being, well, Ozpin, and Raven was scared, I think." Blake's ears curled in slightly, and she finally looked up to meet Yang's gaze. "I'm sorry, but I'm the least important person in this entire mess. I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to, or Ozpin would expel me then turn me into the authorities for being a former White Fang member."

 _"_ _She loves you, Yang."_ The horizon had begun to lighten outside the window, and Neo walked over and pressed her forehead to the glass pane. _"Raven pushes the people she cares about the most away."_

"You said you lost her," Weiss interjected quietly. "Did she push you away?"

 _"No. She always tried to be strong for me, and it killed both of us."_

"Killed?"

Neo's eyes shifted colors as she gave Weiss a resigned smirk. _"Damaged goods, Ice Queen._ _You have no fucking idea how much shit I've been through._ _"_

"Don't ask," Ruby snapped before Yang could open her mouth.

"It was you." Weiss said it as a statement, not a question. "You're the reason Ruby snapped."

Ruby and Neo didn't bother denying the accusation. Yang's eyes snapped red again, but before she could jump at Neo Ruby sprinted across the room and caught her fist. "You're not going to hurt her," she snarled.

"But-"

"You don't understand. You can't ever start understanding what our bond is like. Neo is _everything_ , and if you hurt her you're hurting me too." Ruby let go of Yang, keeping herself in between them.

"Ruby." Weiss sighed. "I think you better start at the beginning. This time, tell us everything that's happened to you since you started Beacon."

Ruby looked from one teammate to the other. She found uncertainty and fear, but she hadn't lost either of them yet. _This… I think we're going to be okay._ "So, I guess it all started when I was buying comic books in Dust Till Dawn..."

* * *

 **[A/N] Neo has a complete breakdown following her worst memory. In the following chaos, Weiss and Yang figure everything out. Weiss has a meltdown and Yang _almost_ has a meltdown but Ruby and Weiss manage to stop her.**

 **Next two chapters are going to be absolute behemoths, y'all. I hope you're ready.**

 **Also, a heads up - after Vol. 3 concludes, I'm going to be going on a brief haitus. Two reasons why - I'm not going to have a computer or internet all summer, which makes it a little harder to post, and also this volume's taken a lot out of me and I need a break.** **To the fifty or so of you who've been around since Chapter One and Two went up, it's the same summer haitus I took last year.**

 **Please review, your support gets these long chapters out on time.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 5/19/18**


	29. V3 - Collapse

Volume Three, Chapter Nine: Collapse

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 5/21/18

* * *

Shadows filled the dark tent. The camp was nearly silent under the waxing moon, spare a few late drunks and the steady drum of patrol boots. A scythe leaned against a center table, companion to the man in gray leaning back in his chair. Qrow groaned as he recapped his flask, lost in his own thoughts and waiting for his sister to return. Raising an eyebrow at the woman leaning against the tent pole, he grumbled, "How'd Rae choose a kid like you to tag, anyway?"

"Funny, I was wondering how she got a drunkard huntsmen as twin brother. Guess we'll both be disappointed," she shot back. "Besides, I'm twenty so fuck you."

"My point exactly. All the new blood around here makes my head spin, what's your name?" Qrow shot her a piercing stare, and she wilted slightly.

"Greaser."

"Greaser? That's not a color-"

Greaser's eyes flashed, and she yanked a gun out of her holster. "Don't you fucking dare. We ain't all got time for the Kingdom's shitty ass color name rule. Besides, you're one to talk, _Qrow_ ," she sneered, cocking the weapon.

"Woah, woah, I'm just making conversation here, kid." Qrow threw his hands in the air mockingly, slurred words clinging to his tongue. "Tribe's changed since Father kicked me out and got himself killed. Can't fault Rae for what she's done with the place."

"Can't fault her? She's quadrupled the size of the tribe ever the Bandit Wars started." Greaser's lip curled upwards, her black bun glowing under the starlight outside. "That's not even counting how many we've lost. Join the Branwen Tribe or die, great motto really. At this point, everyone's either with Raven or Augustine cause the rest know what happens to the tribes that resist. The only thing keeping everyone here from killing each other is that they're all scared of the core."

"The core?" Qrow repeated, growing more and more impressed with his sister's leadership by the second. _Father didn't have a quarter of the power Rae does…_

"Me, Vernal, Silo, Astral, and Raven. Y'know, everyone who can kill hunters like you easily," she said contemptuously, gesturing at him with her gun. "Most bandits don't even know what fucking aura is, honestly. Semblances are enough to stop them in their tracks, and Raven's powers, well… If Augustine didn't have his Hand, Raven would already be in control of all of Anima except Mistral."

 _Hand, she means Bella_. Qrow subconsciously shifted towards his weapon, only to stop at Greaser's warning glance. "'The weak die, the strong live.' Those are the rules, aren't they?"

"Bravo, fuckface, you really are Raven's brother."

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Fuckface? Really? That's the best you got for me?"

Greaser narrowed her eyes and looked away. "Fucking alcoholic."

"Why, you want a piece of this?" Qrow drawled.

In an instant, Greaser was behind him pinning his arm to his back just short of breaking it. "Another word and I don't give a shit what Raven will say."

"That's a lie and we both know it." Before she could react, Qrow had thrown her off, kicked his scythe to his hand, and had her pinned to the ground with the blade to her throat. She smirked at him, then vanished into thin air. "Teleportation, fancy trick."

"It really is," she said from behind him, gun clicking as the barrel met the back of his head. "Raven goes to people, I go anywhere I can see. Looks like I got you, old man. I mean, honestly, what are you, forty?"

"Thirty-two, actually. I have to say, this is some kinky fo-"

Greaser shot him in the head.

"OW! WHAT THE FUCK!"

She shrugged. "Told you I'd shoot you. Good thing you're a halfway decent hunter, you'd be surprised how many idiots don't even activate their aura around enemies until they actually start fighting. Seriously, what do they teach you people in those fancy academies of yours?"

Qrow stared at her, then burst out laughing. "I like you. You're exactly the kind of psychotic bitch my sister gets herself involved with."

Greaser laughed along with him. "Yeah, well don't get your hopes up or else I'll have to shoot you again. You're lucky I'm on tent duty tonight, Vernal would probably have cut your balls off if you had hit on her. Don't mess with crazy lesbians, dude, they'll fuck you up."

"Trust me, I've learned that the hard way. Rae was dating Summer a while back and the two of them nearly killed me and Tai when we, ah, played a little practical joke on them." Qrow picked himself off the ground and settled back into his chair.

"It wouldn't happen to involve a broom closet and a lot of whipped cream, would it?"

"She still complains about it, doesn't she?"

" _All_ the time." Qrow and Greaser met each other's gaze and shared a knowingly mischievous glance. "Oh, she's gonna hate me for this. What else do you have on her?"

Qrow quirked an eyebrow, then held up his flask. "Want a drink?"

Half an hour later, the hunter and the bandit were still exchanging stories. Greaser's tongue only sharpened as she drank, so she and Qrow were exchanging good-natured insults over their banter when Raven portaled into the tent dirty, crying, and burning with vicious blue fire. They both jumped to their feet at the sight. "Raven-"

Raven ignored Greaser, stalking out of the tent with her drawn sword. Qrow stared wide-eyed in her wake. _I haven't seen Rae this mad since- since- The only thing that's ever made her this mad is Tai, Yang, and… God, what happened to Bella?_

The duo sprinted after the Nevermore Queen as the fire around her grew brighter and brighter, slowly rising into the air as she moved to leave the camp. Biting his tongue, Qrow transformed to his avian form and flew after Raven, trying to get in front of her. When Raven noticed him, she snarled and swiped a hand at him. A gust slammed into Qrow and he plummeted back towards the ground, turning human again to stop his fall. Greaser ran to his side as Raven glowed even brighter, and he shook his head. "Run. Now."

Raven exploded.

Blue fire blossomed out from Raven's body, scorching everything within fifty meters with the full power of the spring maiden. Tackling Qrow, Greaser pushed all of her aura into her semblance and got them back to the safety of the camp with three quick teleports. An unearthly shriek ripped itself from Raven's body, piercing the burning night – flames licked at the trees as clouds spiraled above before getting instantly extinguished by the raging downpour that followed.

Bandits poured out of the tents to the camp center. Pain spiked Qrow's chest; a light touch confirmed that Raven had broken a rib, which his aura had already begun mending. Ignoring it, he brushed Greaser aside and yelled, "Everybody stay back! If you get too close to Raven right now, she will kill you before you have a chance to run!"

"Who are you?" somebody yelled, and Qrow shot them a glare.

"Qrow Branwen, now _stay in the camp_!" A rough hand grabbed his shoulder, and he found himself staring up at a familiar face. "Silo."

"Never thought I'd see you back here again, Qrow," Silo said quietly. He had broad shoulders and a square jawline, and a heavy-duty machine gun hung loosely from his other gloved hand. "None of us ever thought you'd come back."

"You were right. I hate this place," Qrow hissed back. "I don't have a choice when I have an unhinged sister with enough power to destroy Mistral in a day."

"That power has made us strong. This isn't Starling's tribe anymore, Qrow. We both know that." Silo leaned in, narrowing his eyes. "She went to see Bella."

"Yeah."

Silo nodded once, then turned back to look at the inferno beyond the walls. "I always agreed with you, you know. Her daughters were always more trouble than they were worth, both of them."

"Augustus has Bella."

"We know. She tells the core everything."

Qrow jerked his head towards the crowd milling at the palisade gates. "I think you better tell your men to get ready for battle, then."

"Battle? We're not an army, Branwen," Silo said coolly, cocking his gun and nodding at Vernal, who began making rounds through the crowd.

"Maybe not, but that doesn't change the fact that you're fighting a war." Qrow crossed his arms, trying to keep the cold of the rain from seeping through his jacket. "Raven started this war, and if she does what I think she's about to do, it'll end tonight. I hope your men are more prepared than they seem."

"You're not fighting."

"Raven killed Lilia. Oz doesn't know, and neither does Salem. The only reason I'm here is because it's my job to keep it that way, and that won't happen if she burns down half of Anima in her power grab."

"Bullshit." Silo pressed closer to him, forcing his attention. "You leave us for five years and now you show back up. I know you and Raven fought after she lost Bella to Ravinere. I know she almost killed you. Even Ozpin wouldn't be enough to bring you back after she burned that bridge. You would have let her kill herself with that power. _What changed?_ "

Another explosion rang outside the walls, and Qrow flinched. "Summer is dead."

"I'm… sorry."

"Salem was on Atlas' doorstep with her biggest army in a century. We met her head on, me, Summer, Raven, Team GALL… It was the first time I had seen Rae in three years. Oz convinced her to come, somehow. Kyle, Lilia, and Rae were in charge of keeping Laurel alive. Summer and I were the front line. Bottlenecked the horde in the Grimmlands pass. Of course, Salem was too much for the two of us. The only thing between her and Atlas was us, so Summer… There was nothing she could do but use her silver eyes. _All_ of her silver eyes."

Silo bowed his head. "I was fond of Summer. She did not deserve that fate."

"Yeah, well she didn't deserve the burden either but that doesn't mean shit."

"Does her daughter-"

Qrow narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, Rubes got the eyes too. She doesn't know, and she _won't_ know."

"You still haven't answered my question, C."

Qrow glared at him. "Honestly, twenty-five years and you're still not over the fact that my name begins with a Q."

"This is about Summer, isn't it?"

He sighed. "This has always been about Summer, Silo. She was our bridge even in the best of times. Even after Rae caught her and Tai cheating she still snuck back her to check on her, you know that right?"

"Of course I know." Silo shook his head. "Honestly, that girl was so weird. All those years she was convinced she was sneaky, and Astral still caught her every damn time she came. How hard can it be to find a bloody white cloak?"

"Her kid's started wearing a red cloak."

Silo hummed in acknowledgment. "Maybe I'll meet her, one day. All of the original tribe still counts Tai and Summer as members even after what happened, so I'm sure she'll be welcomed with open arms."

"Yeah, and then Raven will kill her."

The bandit commander waved a dismissive hand. "Semantics."

Qrow ran a hand through his wet hair, shivering as thunder rumbled through the clouds. "Summer never got over it when our team fell apart. Tai refuses to see it, but she was never the same. That was the last thing she told me, you know. Not to take care of her kids and Tai, but give Raven a second chance."

"Will you?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" He laughed bitterly, yanking his flask out and taking a long drink. "Tai's barely functional, Raven's having a psychotic breakdown because Oz's magic is ripping her apart, Summer, Kyle, Laurel, and Lilia are all dead, and I'm..."

Silo put a hand back on his shoulder. "You haven't been sober since the day Starling died."

"This was never my tribe, Si. I just refused to see it until Raven tried to kill me." Qrow shook his head, his eyes distant. "Father never should have sent us to Beacon."

"Come back to us. We'll get you sober and give you a reason to fight again, just like after you broke up with Tai."

Qrow shook his head. "Too late for that now. I'm here for Summer, and that's it. She wanted me to watch over Rae and Rubes, and that's all I care about anymore." Silo gave him a long searching glance, then nodded and disappeared into the crowd.

A cry came from the camp gates, and the crowd parted as Raven slowly walked through the palisade. Qrow elbowed his way to the front of the crowd to see her take her mask from Vernal and draw her sword. Blue fire convalesced at her back, unfurling into wide wings of cerulean embers. Trembling with barely contained rage, she raised her sword and brought a bolt of lightning down in between her and the crowd, silencing her tribe. Letting her arm fall back to her side, she yelled, "Augustus Augustine has gone too far!"

A murmur of assent drifted through the tribe. Raven took a step forwards and flared her wings, bone mask slowly regarding the masses. "After tonight, the Branwen tribe will be no more. For the first time since the Great War, all of Anima will look to me, the Nevermore Queen, and you, my loyal family! This war will end tonight. Augustine has opposed my rightful leadership, killed more of our people than I can bear to count, and worst of all _taken my daughter away from me!_ " The maiden's power burst to life around her, and she took a moment to fight them back down. "I have tagged one of their men. You have fifteen minutes to prepare for battle."

As the crowd broke, Qrow tried to make his way towards Raven. However, almost as soon as she finished speaking, Silo, Greaser, and Vernal all fell in around her in a tight circle. A short girl, barely five foot tall with lilac hair, stopped him and pointed the tip of her sniper rifle at him. "Will you fight?"

Qrow stared at her, then moved to brush her aside. "Sorry, pipsqueak, but I got more important things to do than fight in my sister's feud over my father's slave."

Before he knew it, he was pinned to the ground with a knife to his throat. "My name is Astral," she breathed into his ear, "and if you ever call me short again, I will cut your legs off and you can see how _you_ like it."

"Right. _Astral_. Raven really does like her psychotic assholes," he muttered, struggling but unable to throw her off.

Astral's smirk was practically audible. "Betcha wouldn't expect a _pipsqueak_ like me to have a strength semblance, huh?"

"I have to talk to Raven," he hissed back, mud squelching uncomfortably beneath his knees.

"Well, then you'll just have to come back some other time," Astral said smugly, getting off of him. "Greaser thinks you're hot, not like that's so much of a compliment. Come back when you give a shit about our tribe again – Raven and Silo say you used to, at least, so maybe you're not a complete lost cause."

"You can't keep me away from my sister," Qrow snapped, getting to his feet and flipping her off.

Astral rolled her eyes. "Look, asshole, I don't know you. Most of the people here don't. Your sister ain't the only tribe member around, and we're all family. I don't give a shit what baggage you and Raven have, but until you're ready to be here for _all_ of us, you ain't really her brother anymore. Get it?"

Qrow watched as Raven disappeared into her tent. "You actually think I care about this shithole, you're insane. She's not okay, the powers are too much for her, she needs me."

The bandit shook her head. "She doesn't need shit from a huntsman right now. I know what this is really about. Bella's in trouble, we gotta go help her."

"Bella. It's always about fucking Bella, isn't it?" Qrow sneered in disgust.

Astral gave him a pitying look. "Look at you. Drunk to high hell and covered in mud, whining about your sister loving her own daughter more than her estranged asshole brother. I've never even met Bella and I'd still take her over you any day. Get out of here before I shove my rifle up your ass."

Qrow swayed, then turned away in muted silence. He began walking, then stopped and muttered. "When the maiden powers make her snap and she kills half the tribe, don't come running to me."

"Yeah, well Raven's done a damn good job keeping you away from us herself, so who cares?" Astral called to his departing form, then turned on her heel and headed for the main tent.

Swaying where he stood, he suddenly turned around and punched the nearest object, which happened to be a solid metal box. Wincing, he nursed his throbbing hand. _I'm sorry, Summer._ Taking to the skies, he flew away and found his way to the nearest bar.

* * *

 _Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt._

Scarlett Farr groaned, making a swipe at her bedside table for her buzzing scroll. _What the… 2:43 AM?_ Artificial light lit up the rural inn's hotel room. When she saw the caller, though, she cursed and yanked the phone to her ear. "What's happening?"

"Raven's making her move _now_. You have ten minutes to get to Augustine before they attack," a rough voice said on the other line.

"Fuck!" Hanging up, Scarlette threw the scroll back on the bed. Sprinting to her closet, she threw on her clothes, grabbed her weapon, and dashed out of the room. Going to the adjacent room, she ripped the covers off the bed and whispered, "Come on, we have to leave _now_."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Bright orange hair spilled off the pillow, and Roman Torchwick shot her a tired glare. "What?"

"Branwen is attacking right now," she said brusquely, tossing his suit and his cane at him. "You can put that on in the Bullhead, let's go."

Nodding, Roman jumped out of bed with his stuff. Sprinting out of the hotel room and into the surrounding woods, they found their aircraft resting in a peaceful clearing. Yanking the cockpit door open, he pulled himself in and took them into the air.

 _Time to make our name in the world._

* * *

"Coffee." The tray rattled lifelessly when Weiss put it down, absent-mindedly handing a mug to each person. Yang grunted when she took hers, too busy staring at the wall to give it a second thought. The heiress slumped down next to her and put her head in her hands. "I can't believe we got three hours of sleep the night before we're in charge of protecting half a million people."

Ruby and Blake looked at each other and shrugged. "That's actually pretty good for the three of us," Blake said, reaching for her tea with a sigh.

Neo grabbed her coffee and popped one of the waiting sugar cubes into her mouth. _"Thank you, Weiss."_ Weiss shot her a look, and she sighed and leaned on Ruby. _This is the new normal, huh?_

 _I think we lost track of normal a long time ago._ Even sugary caffeine was having trouble picking Ruby's mood up, so she put her cup down and rested her head on Neo's. _I can't believe they know. I can't believe they know everything._

 _Neither can I._

"Can you not?" Everyone looked at Yang, who was staring pointedly at Ruby and Neo. Yang's cup trembled in her hand, and her aura flickered lightly around her body. "If it wasn't for the protest, we would be having a _very_ different conversation right now, so can you stop clinging to each other for one damn second?"

 _Should-_

 _Yes._

 _Right._

Ruby and Neo broke apart, and an audible sigh of relief came from Blake. When Yang whipped around to glare at her, she put her hands on her temples. "Honestly. How the fuck are we supposed to do this when we can't even _look_ at each other properly?"

"Everybody." Weiss took a long drink of her coffee then gently set the cup down. "How about we all just take a deep breath and go get ready, okay? I think we'll all feel better after a morning spar."

"Yeah." Ruby stood up and mustered her old persona, something she had grown good at to combat Yang's depression. "Let's go to the training room and kick some butt!"

* * *

Light filtered through the dusty window of the abandoned room and onto the thin bunk mattress. Pyrrha slowly awoke to the sight of blond hair gently rising and falling with Jaune's even breathing. Smiling, she cuddled closer to her boyfriend, willing herself not to think of the fight and the maidens and secrets and lies and attacks and the doom she knew lingered just over the horizon.

"Hey Pyr," Jaune mumbled.

Pyrrha caught her breath as he stirred. "Jaune, you're awake."

"Yeah, I woke up a while ago but I didn't want to disturb you." Shifting, he rolled over to face her, a rosy glow at his cheeks. "Last night was… amazing. I mean, I was worried it would, like, totally awkward, but _wow_..."

She blushed and shrugged, self-consciously bringing the sheet closer to her exposed chest. "Well, it wasn't my first time, so I guess that helped?"

"Wait, what?"

"You thought I was a virgin?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at his shell-shocked expression.

Jaune flushed. "Well, yeah, I mean, you, um, well, you're you and all, but, um..." he stuttered as she shook her head.

"Look, Jaune, I wasn't always depressed and awkward," Pyrrha said softly, pressing her hand to his face. "I mean, I've been the best fighter in Mistral since I was _twelve_. There was a long time where I was the most popular kid in school, and I used to actually enjoy it. We… we would go to parties. A lot. I would throw parties, I mean, I had my own apartment so I could do whatever the hell I wanted to!"

"When-"

"My fifteenth birthday." Jaune gaped at her, and she shrugged. "Some of my friends were fourteen. When everyone around you is rich and drunk, nobody really gives a shit. Besides, he was my age. You've never seen me drunk, I-" Breaking off, Pyrrha shook her head. "It doesn't matter anymore. Those people, the money, the sex, getting drunk… None of it was real. I stopped hanging around with them ages ago because the only reason they liked me was because I was strong and rich and my parents were never home on Saturday night."

Jaune sighed. "Just like your empty room, huh… I had no idea."

"It's not like I talk about. I can't even imagine what it would be like if I still was like- no, wait, I can." She laughed, meeting Jaune's blue eyes. "Remember how Weiss kept trying to make friends with me, that first day?"

He snickered. "You and Weiss running around Beacon drunk? That would be hilarious, I want to see that."

Leaning in, she gently kissed him then sat up. "Besides, I've never had a _boyfriend_ before, so this was way better than some dumb wasted hookup."

"Are you ready?" He asked quietly.

Pyrrha's good mood came crashing down around her. Sighing, she crawled over him and opened the bathroom door. Stepping in and turning the shower on, she sighed and said, "Yeah, I am."

Jaune followed her in, pulling his pants on and yawning. "Hey, I'll go find you a towel and stuff. It's all gonna be fine, okay? We've got this." She kissed him again then stepped under the hot water, and he slipped out of the bathroom.

Once Pyrrha was sure he was gone, she groaned and pressed her head against the tile wall. "Jaune, what am I going to do?" she asked the air, the answer already on the tip of her tongue.

 _I'm going to win this tournament, and then I'm going to become the next fall maiden._

 _It isn't a choice anymore. It never was._

 _This is my destiny._

* * *

Dane had always hated white closets. They held too much of Atlas and nothing of Mantle, trapping him back in the indulgent grays and crystal of combat school. No, in the frozen slums of Atlas' sister city, a family of four would have lived in a box the size of the elegantly curved suite the late General Ironwood stored his boxy pressed suits in. Never mind the beauty – he had always admired art, for all it was an artifice of life he had set behind him.

Besides, the suits were uncomfortable as hell.

Dane admired James' reflection in the mirror, head tilted to the side as a self-assured smirk dusted his lips. "Hello there, General." The general's voice was deeper than his. Raising his now-cybernetic arm, he tapped his finger against the dusteel with a thoughtful glance. _Atlesian tech truly works miracles…_

"General? Is something wrong with your prosthetics again?" The speaker was a young attendant, human of course, and Dane had to stop himself from jumping at her.

"Of course. You know I would inform you if there was," he said coolly, sweeping past her into his main quarters. "Is there anything else?"

As she fumbled with her tablet, Dane breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. _Thank god for assistants, otherwise this would be going south fast._ "Of course. You have your meeting with Dr. Polendina at nine, then- General, you're attending the animal's protest?"

Dane bit back a snarl, composing himself. _Of course. Of fucking course. What would_ James _say?_ Turning, he faced the woman and said, "We are showing our commitment to the peace of Vale by extending our goodwill to the _faunus_ protesting _my_ soldiers."

"Of course, sir," she responded, her golden bob dipping in acknowledgment without apologizing in any regard. Dane fought to keep his lip from curling in, a gesture he knew was distinctly _not_ something Ironwood would ever do. "Shall I send the doctor in?"

"Yes, please." As the woman turned to leave, Dane called, "Oh, and after you do, you're demoted."

She stopped still and spun back around. "D-d-demoted? James, you've known me since school, what- Why?"

Dane sat in James' chair, sprawling his legs wide and lifting his chin to look down on her. "Your performance is no longer satisfactory. Leave my presence, or you'll be dismissed from active duty."

The woman stared at him for a long moment, then nodded with watery eyes and turned to flee. A dark smirk crossed Dane's lips as the door slid shut behind her, strangled sobbing fading away from the office. _That's better than she deserves._

The door slid open again, and a man with dark skin and a white beard entered the room. Dane nodded to him, gesturing for him to sit on the other side of his desk. "Dr. Polendina."

"James, what happened with Stella? Why was she crying?" Polendina asked, leaning towards Dane in confusion.

 _Go stare at the window. Ironwood spent lots of time staring out windows._ Rising from James' desk and turning to watch the skyline, Dane said, "She was repeatedly ignoring my attempts to correct her prejudices, so I deemed her unfit to be my personal assistant. She has been demoted."

The doctor's eyes narrowed, crossing his arms as he watched Dane's reflection on the glass. "That's… remarkably progressive for you, James. You would have problems on the council if they ever heard about this."

Oh, Dane knew _all_ about Ironwood's iron grip on the Atlesian council. "You forget, Doctor, that I am the council. There is a fragile peace between faunus and humans in this city, and one wrong move today would be enough to snap it." _And I fully intend to be the one to do it._ "We are merely keeping up appearances. I suggest you follow suit."

"Why aren't you watching Penny today?" Polendina asked, rising from his seat.

 _What? The orange-haired girl Ruby was friends with?_ Mind desperately whirling, he doubled down on his facade. "We have other priorities today."

"She is OUR project, James!" The doctor slammed the table, shaking the glass of coffee balanced on a glass trivet. "The first artificially constructed human is on the cusp of winning the biggest combat tournament of the year, and you're obsessing over these _street rats!_ "

Now Dane couldn't hold his surprise back, and he turned his gaze further away from the doctor to hide it. "Need I remind you that _I_ am the general of this army, and Vale's safety is _my_ responsibility."

"Oh, don't pull that bullshit with me, James. You know command will believe me before they ever give a damn about you."

Dane turned around and fixed his gaze on the elderly man, who wilted before him. "You're walking a dangerous line, Doctor."

Polendina gaped at him, then narrowed his eyes. "You haven't called me Dr. Polendina in years… What are you- No." The doctor backed away from the desk, eyes widening. "You're not James, are you?"

Unwilling to let the confrontation drag on any longer, Dane swept past the doctor and out of the room. As the door hissed shut behind him, he turned to one of his guards. "Arrest the doctor."

The soldier's eyes widened. "On what charges, sir?"

Dane's eyes narrowed at the door. "Treason. You." He pointed at the other guard, who gaped at him. "Prepare my ship."

"Of course. Which ship?" he asked.

"Something small and covert." Dane turned away and started heading towards the hangar, his smirk deepening. "I have a protest to attend."

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

* * *

"Brothers and sisters of faunuskind!"

* * *

"To all those who are tuning in at home..."

* * *

"Thank you to all who have come out to stand with us..."

* * *

"Welcome to the final round of the Vytal Festival!"

* * *

"...to commemorate Tukson Lupa and to fight for the equality of all faunuskind!

* * *

Dane strode through the hangar, casting a look back over his shoulder at the soldiers flanking his personal plane. Holding up a hand to stop his guards short, he then folded his fingers behind his back and watched a red bullhead land on the dock. The door slid open, and a tall man with a thin mustache stepped out. "General Ironwood, so good to see your… success in the defense of Vale," he said, throwing his arms wide as he approached Dane.

"Dr. Watts," he said deferentially, fully aware of his rank in Salem's court. "I believe you know your responsibilities today."

Arthur nodded, idly inspecting the black queen emblazoned on the scroll in his hand. "Why yes, and I believe you do as well. Best of luck with the protest, of course."

"Indeed, Doctor."

Dane made to return to his aircraft, but Watts strode forwards and stopped him. "Now, _Dane,_ that you have what you want, I suggest you _ensure_ that we get what we want. If not, the results might be… unpleasant," he whispered, before pushing off of him and leaving the hangar.

He watched him go, then re-entered his aircraft. _Oh, Fire Bitch will get what she wants, but what makes him think Ironwood dead was all I did this for?_

 _These humans, this military… Before today is over, all of it is going to burn._

From the shadows in a side corridor, Watts watched Dane's ship take off. Lifting his scroll to his mouth, he murmured, "Everything is in place up here."

* * *

Cinder smirked as she sat on Beacon's roof, watching the afternoon sun slide down the CCT. "Perfect. We are in place as well. Now all the kitty has to do is pull that trigger." Hanging up, she threw her head back and took a deep breath. "Yes, Mercury?"

"Emerald is the one who hates his guts, but I don't exactly like Dane much either," he said coolly. "Shouldn't _we_ make sure the job gets done?"

Cinder threw Emerald a look, who scowled and kicked her feet over the edge of the roof. "No, I think I need you two right here. Something tells me our dying maiden might be coming with… unexpected company. Oh, and Emerald?"

"Yeah?" Emerald's gaze shot up, and she fought back a blush as Cinder raised her chin with two fingers.

The fall maiden's eyes blazed, and she leaned in closer. "When all of this is over, Dane will be all yours to play with."

Emerald's eyes lit up victoriously and she gave her a determined nod. "We won't let you down, Cinder."

"Kissass."

"Shut up!"

Cinder smiled as her henchmen dissolved into another of their usual arguments and pulled out her scroll. The black queen blinked before a video feed of the tournament popped up. _Now, who will win Vale's last fight? It won't even be a competition, now will it, Pyrrha Nikos?_

* * *

 _Cinder Fall._

When you're underwater, sounds seem to fall away from reality. Matter becomes noise, spacial ripples on the surface a dull roar below. There are no voices, no cheering; they have fallen, fallen away. Can they hear the same? Do they feel the echos?

Confidence had ripped the tremor from her legs, youthful naivette and awe cast to the wayside with the uncertainty of certain defeat. She was golden, aurum, red and bronze poised for the victory of a nation, a family, a team, yet least of all herself. The crowd knew her, a tidal wave unlike any roar the stadium had yet known. All of it washed over her head, lost in thoughts of fire and death and straw-colored hair.

"Hi Pyrrha!" Sun Wukong called cheerfully, waving his staff with his tail. "Are you ready to lose?"

 _Who am I fighting for? My parents? Jaune?_ It certainly wasn't for herself or the flashing cameras or the walls that surrounded her. "Good luck, Sun," she said, words rising unburdened to her lips. _I hope you can beat me because it means nothing to me if I win or lose here._

He shot her a cheeky smile and a thumbs up. "Neptune said he'll date me for sure if I beat you, so no hard feeling when I beat you, okay?"

 _You don't understand._

"On my mark, let the semi-finals of the Vytal Festival begin!"

 _I can't lose._

"Ready! Set!"

 _I can't remember how to._

"Begin!"

Akouo flew into Sun's gut before he had a chance to move, sending him staggering backward as Pyrrha readied her rifle. Aiming, she shot him three times in quick succession before he regained his footing and sent out a clone to take the bullet for him. Sun began strafing her, taking quick shots with his staff and deflecting hers as he spiraled towards her.

 _Now._ Before Sun could react, she launched her javelin at him and sprinted in his direction. Sun ducked the spear and kicked it away only to block a shield ram with his staff. Pyrrha kicked out a low sweep to force him to jump, deflected a staff blow, then stopped the kick mid-motion and rammed upwards. Sun flew back again, and she made a dash for her javelin. Whipping around, she caught his blow head on then ramped up the intensity.

Stab to shield, double parry then a bash to the chest. She matched his off-balance sidestep with a backflip, raking Milo down his back before bringing her spear and shield together to make an x-block against his staff.

Sun grinned, and his staff split into dual gunchucks.

Dual explosions of supercharged yellow dust barely missed Pyrrha's head as she ducked under Akouo for cover, only for a nunchuck to slam into her head. Somersaulting to the side, she narrowed her eyes and met him in a flurry of blows. Shot, shot, sidestep, Milo linking around one chain and ripping it to the side as she backflipped around him and kicked his shoulder. Strong arms wrapped around her midsection, and she cried out in alarm as Sun's clone threw her into the air and the faunus jumped after her.

Thinking fast, Pyrrha chucked her shield then carefully brought it curving back with her semblance. Her feet met her shield, and she used the momentum to flip herself upright. Taking aim, she kicked Akouo at Sun then fired Milo behind her to send her hurdling after. A clone deftly caught the shield and used it to catch her attack – she stabbed it in the head then twisted out of the gunchuck's way. Hooking Sun's ankle with her foot, she swung herself around his body only to find his nuchuck blocking her jab with Milo.

Plummeting, Sun and Pyrrha broke apart on the open platform. Hazarding a glance at the standings, Pyrrha saw that she had eighty percent aura while Sun had only thirty-five. _Time to finish this._

Sun was breathing heavily when she made her second full assault with her javelin, gunchucks whipping back and forth to desperately fend off her attacks. One final parry later, then Pyrrha raked Milo across his side and sent him into the red. A buzzer sounded to signal his defeat, and the battle was over.

 _I only win. Winning battles is the only thing I've never failed at._

Was the muted roar around her supposed to be some twisted acknowledgment? How was she even supposed to care anymore?

 _Destiny. This is your destiny. All of this will happen whether you give a shit about it or not, so play nice and wave._

Breaking out into a broad smile, she looked up at the crowd and waved, eliciting another round of wild cheers. She was Pyrrha Nikos, Mistral's golden girl, and for just a little bit longer she would keep playing the part.

* * *

They came as a trickle, then as a flood. People flowed out of the buildings and sidestreets, piling out of the buses and subway until the crowd filled the stations up too. Signs and slogans, scattered disjointed chanting swelling and doubling then swelling again. Electricity flowed through the air like dust in an attic seeing the light of day for the first time in a decade. Static ruled the streets.

The black limo pulled away from the convention center, surrounded by an Atlesian motorcade. Yang and Blake sat a foot apart on the leather seat, unable to break the tension from the night before. Kali and Ghira sat together next to them, shooting the young couple worried glances as Lilianne looked on impassively. "Did something happen?" Kali asked, frowning as Blake's ears curled in and she looked away.

"Mom, don't," she said shortly, shifting slightly further away from Yang as her girlfriend's fist tightened further. Yang could only stare straight ahead, unable to look at any of the Belladonnas.

"Girls." Lilianne sat in a special modified section of the limo which accommodated her serene gazelle horns. When Yang didn't look up, she gently reached over and rested a hand on her arm. "I don't know what personal drama you have going on right now – heavens know I've had enough of that myself – but you _must_ leave it behind until this is done. Lives are at stake today if we don't keep this protest peaceful, and your team is the only group of huntsman we have."

"Shows how much the academies really care about us," Kali muttered, only to be silenced by Ghira's calming touch.

"Blake. Yang." Blake looked up at her father's warm gaze and nodded. "You two will be up on stage with us. However, if something happens, the people are your first priority, _not_ us. Everyone on stage can fight, but thousands of unarmed civilians can't. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Are your teammates in place?

"Let me check." Reaching down, Blake lifted her comm to her mouth and said, "Ruby, are you in place?"

Elsewhere in the city, Ruby stood on a rooftop watching as the growing crowds stretched further and further down the long promenade. "Yep! I'm up on the City Hall roof watching for snipers, and Weiss and Neo are on the buildings on both other sides of the stage. Blake, the crowd is insane, I don't think the speakers go far enough down Dust Avenue."

"Good, we're almost there," Blake's voice came through the speaker. "Is the White Fang there yet?"

"Make way!" came an amplified cry from the middle of the crowd. Ruby gaped as a red standard was led into the crowd from a side street and the White Fang paraded into the crowd. In full uniform, the procession gradually split off and disseminated into the crowd. She caught sight of Sienna, Adam, Corsac, Fennec, and Ilya as they made their way to the stage.

Sighing, she poked the comm again, watching as more and more members poured into the crowd. "Yeah, they are _definitely_ here."

"Awesome. We'll tell you guys when we get here. I'll get Weiss now. You talk to N- Violet, okay?"

 _She knows I was listening to all of that, right?_

Ruby grinned as she caught sight of Neo's distant form waving at her. _It's her protest, I think we'll humor her._ "Already on it. Bye, Blake."

 _You know, it's kinda weird that we can hear each other's thoughts when we're standing on top of different buildings,_ Neo mused as Ruby returned to where she had staked out a makeshift sniper's nest on the roof. Adjusting Rising Thorn against her shoulder and doing a scan of the rooftops for enemies, she rolled her eyes.

 _You know, it's kind of weird we can hear each other's thoughts at all._

 _Yeah, but I thought you'd be over that by now, Rose._

Ruby snorted, then pressed the button on her comm again. "Weiss, you good?"

Weiss started as her comm beeped again, excusing herself from the conversation she had been having with an Atlesian specialist. "Ruby, did Blake tell you?" she asked. She was standing in a plaza half a mile from the epicenter of the protest where the Atlesian military had staked out the HQ for its defense operations.

"Tell me what?" came Ruby's static-y reply.

"General Ironwood is going to attend the protest!" she hissed. "He didn't tell us!"

"What? Ironwood is going to be here? Why?"

Weiss shook her head, leaning against a tree. "I have no idea, I met with him and he said Ozpin wanted a Guardian by the stage, whatever that means."

She could practically hear Ruby's frown. "But… that's good, isn't it? No, wait, this is Neo." A brief pause, and a slightly shifted voice came through the speaker. "Weiss, how thorough are Atlas' defenses?"

Weiss looked back at the base, where squads of robots were already marching towards the protest. "I think there'll be a couple hundred robots, plus Ironwood and his squad of twenty human guards. Why?"

"We don't like this."

A shiver ran down Weiss' spine as Neo used the plural pronoun. _How does Blake deal with this?_ "Yeah, well neither do I but it's too late to change it. I'll head over once the last of the robots are en route. Be careful." Not waiting for an answer, Weiss hung up.

Back in the limo, a similar conversation was happening.

"Why is _Ironwood_ coming to my protest?!" Lilianne shouted, and Blake cringed.

"I have no idea, I'm just repeating what Weiss told me!" At the anger on the gazelle faunus' face, she quickly added, "Look, Weiss didn't know either, okay?"

"Something is wrong," Ghira murmured.

Lilianne nodded, her expression resignedly resolute. "It's too late to turn back now. We can only hope that Atlas's protection holds. This could be the watershed moment for faunus equality if the general is truly ready to pledge his support to our cause."

The limo screeched to a halt, and the driver leaned back into the passenger compartment. "Mr. and Mrs. Belladonna, Mrs. Hale, we've arrived behind the city hall."

Lilianne nodded and pushed her door open. "Thank you, Damon."

Blake opened the door to the endless flutter flashes of cameras. Lilianne's private security helped keep the press away as Yang exited the car after her. Their eyes met, then Blake forcefully took her hand and squeezed before she could react. Leaning in, she whispered, "We'll deal with Neo later, but we _have_ to keep up appearances." Yang nodded imperceptibly, and she leaned in to kiss her. Her soft lips and lilac smell were as intoxicating as ever, but it was marred by the invisible distance between them. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, let's just do this," Yang whispered back, then led Blake after Lilianne and her parents.

The group emerged from the hall onto the stage, and the crowd reached a deafening crescendo. Nothing in Blake's life had ever prepared her for the sheer energy surging to the stage, of clapping and cheers and chants and anger and passion and everything she had always given but never dreamed of receiving. Hesitantly, she waved to the crowd and received another round of cheers back.

"This is insane," Yang murmured in awe.

"Yeah." Lilianne and her parents were greeting the White Fang leaders and other leaders who had arrived beforehand, and Blake realized that she would have to greet Adam. "Oh god, Adam, what do I do?"

"Appearances, right?" Yang gave her a long look then broke away to greet the leaders herself. Taking a nervous gulp of air, Blake followed suit.

Corsac and Fennec both greeted her in their unusual manner, setting her even more on edge when she came to her former partner and boyfriend. Hesitantly, she offered her hand, then flinched when Adam pulled her in. "You never greeted me, Blake," he said with more than a hint of resent in his voice.

"I'm a lesbian, Adam, and you were abusive," she hissed back. "You're my ex, I don't owe you anything."

His voice dropped even further. "You'll regret the day you ever _thought_ of betraying me," he snarled under his breath, and Blake jerked away and hastily moved on to Sienna Khan.

The White Fang's leader coolly regarded her as she offered a hand. "I understand you two have a… history."

"Yeah, something like that," Blake said curtly, fully aware that he was still watching her.

Sienna nodded. "You did excellent work as a member of my Fang, and I have been more than pleased to see you continue to fight for our equality even after we parted ways. You hold my respect, Blake Belladonna. Do our people proud today." She gave her a regal nod dismissing her, and Blake jerkily walked away to take her spot by Yang. Leaning into her mike, she said, "Everybody is on stage. We're about to start."

"Atlas is in position. Ironwood's put soldiers on the rooftops surrounding the main street," Ruby said. "I'm watching the windows since nobody can snipe from the roofs anymore. Neo thinks they look like a kill squad ready to fire."

Blake shuddered at the image. _If the soldiers have ill intentions… God, it would be a fucking massacre._ "And the general?"

"The specialist has informed me Ironwood will be inside the city hall in case anything goes wrong. I'm on my way," Weiss said. "Team WBYR, are we ready to defend this protest?"

"Hell yeah!" Ruby cheered.

Blake looked up to meet Lilianne's gaze and gave her a nod. "Then here we fucking go."

* * *

"This is it. One more fight, and then this tournament is over." Jaune took a deep breath, pulled the huddle closer, and said, "Team JNPR, we've made it this far. Pyrrha, we all believe in you. You got this."

"Oh, stop being so serious," Nora said, shoving Jaune lightly. "Pyrrha, we all know how nervous you've been. Trust me, it's all going to be _fine_ , okay?"

"Nora's right, you should relax, both of you," Ren said, resting his hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"Thanks, guys." Pyrrha tried to smile and almost succeeded.

Jaune shot her a worried look but nodded nonetheless. "Team JNPR on three? One, two, three-"

"TEAM JNPR!"

 _bzzt. bzzt._

Pyrrha pulled her scroll out of her pocket, then frowned when she saw the caller ID. Jaune looked over her shoulder and groaned. "You're kidding. Your parents are calling _again_?"

She contemplated her phone for a moment. _If I become the fall maiden, will I even know my parents anymore?_ She bit her lip, then said, "I'm going to pick up."

"What?!" Jaune grabbed her hand and forced her to meet his panicked stare. "Pyrrha, you said it yourself, talking to your parents before the match throws you off!"

She shot him a sad look, then shook his hand off and pressed accept. "Mom? Dad?"

"Pyrrha?" Lila said in hopefully surprise, then shouted away from the phone, "Aurum, she finally picked up! Oh, honey, when you kept missing our calls, we got so worried."

Pyrrha frowned as she moved away from the rest of her team. "I'm… sorry."

"Pyrrha..." Her father's voice was warm across the phone. "You made it to the finals, honey. We're so proud of you."

 _Yeah, I'm sure you are,_ she couldn't help but think bitterly. "What did you have to say?" she asked pointedly.

"Have to say?" Lila echoed, pausing for a moment. "Pyr, we- You do realize you haven't answered a single call since you and your friend visited during winter break, right?"

"I- Yeah..."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Aurum asked, "Is your team there with you? What about that, um, James fellow?"

"Jaune, and yeah," she said curtly, leaning back on the rough concrete wall of the coliseum's underbelly. _What else do you have to say to them?_ "We're dating."

"You're dating him?" Lila said with a hint of disdain. "You can do better than-"

"Li, stop," Aurum said, cutting her off. "How long?"

On edge from her mother's hostile tone, she said, "Since right after we got back to Vale."

"That's wonderful," her father said with a genuine hint of pride even as Lila sniffed. "It's good that you've finally found a committed relationship, all those boys you used to go through-"

"And that's enough. Look," Pyrrha said, glancing back at Jaune, Ren, and Nora. "I have to fight in these finals in a moment."

"You have to go?" Aurum breathed, clearly disappointed. "Pyr, please don't disappear on us again. I know your mother and I haven't always been… the best parents, but we still care and love you."

"Yeah, sure," Pyrrha said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You'll call us?" Lila asked hopefully.

"I guess so?"

"We're proud of you, Pyrrha."

"Um, yeah. Bye." Before her parents could say anything else, she hung up and let her scroll hang at her side with an exhausted sigh. She stared at her reflection for a moment on the blank glass, then snapped it shut and handed it to Nora.

"So… That went well?" Ren said hesitantly.

Jaune rolled his eyes as he strode forwards and wrapped Pyrrha into a big hug. "You didn't have to answer them," he mumbled into her shoulder.

"Mom tried to badmouth you, Dad talked her down. I think he might actually approve," she responded, returning the hug. "I should have talked to them ages ago, it's my fault. They're my parents, I- I don't know."

"You love them." Nora was silhouetted against the bright tunnel entrance, and Pyrrha couldn't see her face. "It doesn't matter who your parents are, or if they gave birth to you, or if they were even there in the first place. They're still your parents. You're so lucky you have that, Pyrrha. You and Jaune both."

Pyrrha gaped at Nora until Jaune poked her with her elbow. Ren gently went to Nora's side and took her hand. Slowly, her shaking shoulders calmed and Ren wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Pyrrha heard him faintly say, "I'm here for you," before he led her away from the tunnel.

Jaune and Pyrrha were silent for a while. Finally, Jaune said, "We really don't know that much about them, do we?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "I forget, sometimes, how serious Nora can be."

"Maybe she's repressing something. Should we try to talk to her?" he asked.

"No." Pyrrha turned to face him, taking both his hands and pressing their foreheads together. "I don't think she'd tell either of us anything, even if we asked. I bet that besides Ren Weiss is the only person she would open up to."

"What? Weiss? Why Weiss?"

"Oh, I don't know. Just a feeling." Pyrrha smiled knowingly, then leaned in and kissed Jaune before he could ask again. "I have to go fight."

He nodded. "I know. Everything is going to be fine, I promise."

 _Everything is going to be fine?_ The words stabbed through her chest like an arrow, and she had to clench her fists to stop herself from disintegrating. Jaune kissed her goodbye and started walking away, but something inside holding her back snapped and she called, "Jaune, wait!"

"Huh? What's wrong?" Jaune staggered back as she flung herself at him, desperately hugging him. "Hey, hey, is this still about your parents?"

"No, Jaune, you have to listen to me." Pulling back enough to meet his eyes, she said, "Something is going to happen, either during these finals or right after."

Jaune frowned, straw brows crinkling in confusion. "I don't understand. Something? What's something?"

Her gaze was intense, focused in her panic. "It- Jaune, I'm going to have to do something. I'm going to have to go with Ozpin, and I _need_ you and Ren and Nora with me. He can't know you're coming until the last minute. He can't know I told you. You need to have your weapons and you need to follow me the second I leave the stadium. Do you understand?"

"N-no! No, I don't! What's going on? Are we in danger? Are you-" Jaune stopped mid-sentence and his expression fell. "Oh god. That's why you talked to your parents, isn't it? It's about last night. I thought you were just worried about the tournament, but you actually think you're going to… die." He shook his head. "You think you're going to die, don't you?"

Tears prickling at the edge of her eyes, Pyrrha nodded. Jaune pulled her into a crushing hug, and they both started crying lightly. "If I don't die, I still might lose my identity, my, my soul, my aura," she mumbled. "I might not know who my parents are. I might not know who you are."

"I don't want to lose you," Jaune whispered, but she shook her head.

"If I don't do this, millions of people could die." Shakily, Pyrrha whispered, "I have to do this, even if it kills me. Jaune, _this_ is my destiny."

"No. No no no no no. You can't be destined to die."

" _Everybody_ is destined to die. Some people are just destined to save other people. That's what being a huntress is all about." Pyrrha gently pressed her thumb to his cheek and wiped a tear away.

"I love you," Jaune said desperately.

Everything spilled out of Pyrrha's heart and into the open. "I love you too."

Their kiss was long, passionate, singing Destiny Blue under the cold winter sun and sleeping in the abandoned room and everything in between. As they broke apart, they shared one last long lingering gaze, then Pyrrha pulled away and took up her weapons. "I'm ready, Jaune," she said weakly, her voice cracking as she gestured to the waiting stadium.

"I won't let you die," Jaune said defiantly as she turned away. "Ren and Nora and I, we- we'll find a way, I swear! This doesn't have to be your destiny! This doesn't have to be how this ends!"

Pyrrha smiled, shook her head, and walked into the light.

"And now, for the final fight of this year's Vytal Tournament, please welcome Pyrrha Nikos to the battlefield!"

* * *

"There is a friend, a dear friend, that I have recently lost."

There is no silent silence. There is no escape from the hum of life, of thought, the eternal spin of rationale and hope. Thought hangs on the summer breeze, dripping on fingertips and clinging to the masses surrounding it. Silence is energy, building in anticipation, waiting to explode into motion. Moments in the endless song yet unsung.

Sienna Khan bowed her head, golden ear rings glowing in the twilight. Before her, an entire race followed her lead, whether in remembrance or reverence was impossible to tell. "Mistral. The city and its people are a mountain, and we were born at the bottom of it. I remember meeting him as a young cub. We share a passion to explore, to discover, to seek _more_. I spent much of my short childhood with him at my side, exploring the caves and slums with an eye for a beauty only a child could find in misery."

The crowd hummed, rising and falling with the tone of her voice. Too many understood, too many knew the damp and the dark and the evils lurking between. The tiger lily controlled the crowd, commanding their utter respect and devotion. Here was a faunus of power, one who had climbed that mountain and sat on the throne at the apex of their society, standing before them to carry _their_ struggle, _their_ pain, and sought to bring them higher.

"At twelve, I joined the White Fang because I saw an opportunity in a young man named Ghira Belladonna." Cheers and applause: who in the crowd didn't admire the visionary leadership of the elder Belladonna? Ghira raised a hand in acknowledgment, and the cheers swelled. "My friend came along at my side when many I knew could not leave the safe prison of our home. No, we could not bear to stay any longer, so we came and we fought."

"We were beaten!" Sienna cried, and people roared. "We were arrested, gassed, shot, hung, killed! They sent us to the death mines of Atlas, the factories of Vale, the servant homes of Mistral, the work camps in Vacuo, yet we persisted and _we fought_! Laws were made. Seats were won. Our media shows who we are, not what we are. And yet _nothing has changed!_ " she bellowed, her fist flying into the air.

The crowd exploded, roaring and chanting, raging like a wild beast. People across the vast promenade copied her gesture until she fell back and quietly said, "It was not enough. We fought by their rules, and it was never enough. So, we decided to change the rules. Ghira stepped down, and I became the new leader of the White Fang."

"My friend became one of my dear commanders along with Adam Taurus, in charge of our biggest branch right here in this city. In days we became the biggest army on Remnant! We span all five kingdoms, count over five hundred thousand members both active and not, and we are changing this world!"

Sienna leaned forwards on the podium. "In this city, I am wanted, dead or alive, for millions of Lien. They don't want me here today. They don't want me to speak to you, they don't want you to know the truth. Why? Because you are not alone! You are not less than the humans that sit in power! There are enough people in this protest that we could tear Vale to the ground!"

"And do you want to know the name of my friend?" Sienna ripped the microphone away from the podium, drawing herself to her full height and walking to the edge of the stage. "Do you want to know who I bled for, who I fought for, who I found the world with, found this ugly place that I will not rest until I see it change? Do you want to know the name of the man who was killed in an unprovoked assault by a _human_ soldier?!"

"His name was Tukson Lupa!"

Rage burned away the street, screaming in pain and loss and hatred. The beast called for blood, for remembrance, for peace, for death, insatiable in its fury. Shifting, hungry – no, starved – and waiting for more.

"They won't tell you that the faunus of Vacuo are in open rebellion! They won't tell you how Atlas' mines are falling, their trains going missing, their racist leadership facing justice for the thousands who die every year in Mantle! They won't tell you how we're strong! They won't tell you how we refuse, refuse to stand by, refuse to rest until they treat us with equality, dignity, and respect! This is the moment that changes everything!"

Sienna paused to let the crowd calm slightly, then said, "This is a message to the Kingdoms, the council of Atlas, the headmasters of the academy, all of the powerful humans in this world. You have forced me and my people into the shadow, but we will not hide from the world any longer. Either you will change, or we will burn you and every bit of power you wield to the ground!" With that, Sienna stepped away from the podium, and the crowd burned even brighter than before, whispering and spreading her words through the endless crowd.

 _This is the moment that changes everything._

* * *

"And now, facing Ms. Nikos, please welcome Penny Polendina of Atlas Academy to the field!"

Pyrrha distractedly looked up as Penny came onto the battlefield and gave her a cheerful salute. "Salutations, Pyrrha Nikos! It's a pleasure to finally meet you! Friend Ruby and friend Violet always talk so much about you! This is going to be so much fun!"

Too lost in her thoughts to respond, Pyrrha offered her a distant scowl and took a ready stance with Milo and Akouo. _I just said goodbye to Jaune… I left him alone crying because of this battle._

She had never wanted to be the tournament victor. She had never wanted detached parents and friends, broken teammates and boyfriends, to see her life crumbling around her.

She didn't want to fight anymore.

Pyrrha Nikos was the best fighter of her generation to anyone who asked. When she was calm, she was precise, ruthless, and nigh on unstoppable. When she was angry, though, she was invincible.

"Three! Two! One! BEGIN!"

Penny grinned, and with outstretched summoned her swords to surround her. Aiming, she launched them in a wild volley at Pyrrha, who launched herself into the air. Ducking and weaving through the blades, she brought her javelin up and made a wild slash at Penny only to be blocked by the swords and knocked back.

In an instant, she was all over her. Pyrrha desperately ducked and weaved through the whirling blades, returning her shield to her back for added mobility. No matter how fast she parried, the blades still seemed to find her unexposed side. She was forced to drop her blade and somersault away before discretely summoning her blade back to her hand. Penny drew back slightly, and she caught a much-needed breath and looked up at the scoreboard.

Pyrrha Nikos had seventy-eight percent aura, and Penny Polendina had ninety-four. "My word! What a tremendous display by Miss Polendina!" Professor Port boomed over the loudspeakers, and Pyrrha rose with her fists clenched.

 _I'm losing._

Penny was attacking again, and Pyrrha took to the fight with renewed intensity. Springboarding off of a sword, she grabbed another and struck downwards towards her head only to be met by a seemingly impenetrable barrier. Barely twisting out of the reach of Penny's counter-swipe, she attempted to force her way onto the offensive but found herself in close combat with an invisible enemy. Finally, a sword raked across her midriff and sent her tumbling backward in pain.

 _I can't lose._

Floodgates deep inside her, cracked and worn from the past four days, finally began to cave. A deep anger spilled though Pyrrha's aching chest, pain that drove her to her feet and sent her hurtling towards Penny. Breaking through her swords, she unleashed a flurry of blows which she superpowered with her semblance. Penny flew backward, her swords batted away while Pyrrha dashed after her. Before she could get to her, though, she drew her swords back and fired her laser. Pyrrha dodged then slid into position, only to find herself disoriented and Penny absent from her frame of vision.

 _I refuse to lose._

Looking up, Penny rocketed towards her with her boosters firing full throttle. Pyrrha launched herself out of the way only to have her sword and her shield knocked out of her hand in quick succession. Resorting to desperate measures, she tried to summon Milo back to her hand only to have to redirect her semblance to block a sword. It was too late; three more swords sent her tumbling back. She was hovering dangerously close to the end of her aura, and Penny drew all of her swords back for one final strike.

 _NO!_

Something inside of Pyrrha fractured irreparably, detached and dissolved into the supercharged wave of her semblance she ejected from her body. She felt it in the ringing, watching in abject horror as Penny's entire body went limp. She sank as the android crumpled. She drowned as the near-invisible metal wires wrapped around her body and tore the artificial girl to shreds.

"NO!" came the wild cry over the loudspeakers, amplified by the horrified silence of the crowd. Pyrrha followed the audience's gaze upwards where Penny's destroyed pieces laid scattered on the ground beneath the floating platform. All she could feel was detached confusion. _She was a robot. She was made of… metal… and I just… oh… I-_

 _What have I done?_

* * *

"Oh my god," Emerald gasped as she backed away from the video feed in Cinder's hand. "She- She- She just cut that girl in half!" she squeaked, covering her mouth.

"That's not a girl," Cinder said quietly, a smirk slowly climbing across her face. "That's Atlas' top secret attempt to make an artificial human blowing up in their faces. Dane had the… pleasure of meeting with her creator this morning. I do believe our _dear_ general threw him in jail."

"Did we plan this?" Mercury asked, entranced by the image onscreen.

Cinder shook her head, almost gleeful in her maliciousness. "Oh, no. This is going better than I could have ever planned."

"What do we do?" Emerald asked quietly.

"Use it." Cinder flicker her screen and opened a new app. She paused for a moment, then pressed a flaming finger to the black queen emblazoned in the center of the screen. "It's time to change the world."

* * *

Bodies littered the floor. For all the gun and tech, for all the training and preparation, the flagship of the greatest military in the world was rendered useless by the sabotage of a fake general and the scientist picking his way across the bloody bridge. Watts idly finished of the final survivors as he made his way to the main council. He contemplated his scroll for a moment, then nodded solemnly as the black queen virus blinked to life. "Time to put my creation to work," he said, then pushed the device into the motherboard.

In an instant, the lights on the bridge dimmed to a low red, illuminating him as he leaned down and intoned into the scroll, "All Atlesian Knights, standby for Code Black Queen on General Ironwood's command."

"All units on standby," a robotic voice intoned, and Watts nodded. Backing away from the council, he exited and sealed the bridge, then made his way back towards the hangar.

 _Everything rests on Lilac's shoulders now._

* * *

Ruby watched the protest below in awe as the crowd went insane during Sienna's speech. _Neo?_

 _She's incredible,_ Neo responded. _This is unbelievable, I've_ never _seen anything even remotely like this._

"Guys." Weiss's voice came across the mics panicked and static-y, immediately throwing Ruby on edge.

"What's wrong?" she responded.

"The knight I'm with, it- Its visor just turned _red_."

Ruby went straight for her scope – sure enough, every robot along the rooftops now glowed an eerie red. "That's bad. That's really really really bad. What do we do?"

"I-" Static-y silence. "Nothing. Unless they do something, there's nothing we can do."

 _They're making a ring around the protest._ Neo took a deep breath and pulled her sword out of her umbrella. _This isn't a protest, Rose. This is a massacre._

* * *

The Beowulf crept out of the forest, passing through the stoic ranks of Grimm growling at the intense wash of fear and anger emanating from the city before them. Just as it was about to rear back and give the mournful howl to attack, a massive broadsword swung down through its neck and turned it to dust.

Harkan's lips were drawn tight in intense concentration, shrouded in shadow as he single-handedly held the entire horde of Grimm encircling the city of Vale back. Every dark sparkless monster felt his presence and deferred to his dark authority. "Not yet," he rasped. "Not yet."

* * *

"It's time."

Dane nodded once, then rose from the chair he had commandeered inside of City Hall. Flanked by his guards, he left the office and strode through the halls. The anxiety that had slowly built in his chest dissipated, and the reality of the moment set his shoulders and held his head high.

 _Everything comes down to this._

Curling his hand into a final victorious fist, he strode through the front doors and onto the stage.

* * *

"This was _not_ a tragedy. This was _not_ an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both."

Red screens pulsed through the arena. Pyrrha's hands drifted to cover her mouth, a single tear trickling down her cheek as she continued to stare at Penny's remains.

"They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference."

Whispers filled the stadium, fearfully torn between the dead girl and the burning screen.

"And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither from this fight. Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves."

The mysterious woman took a breath. "No, the true purpose of Atlas' presence in Vale lies below. Hundreds of thousands of faunus protest their rule, their violence, and the rule of the humans holding the four kingdoms in their iron grip. The biggest convergence of faunus in history, and you sit complicit in this stadium admiring the fatal violence they have lived under their entire life. The dead robot at your feet is the beginning of the race war, but James Ironwood came here for the sole purpose of finishing it. After all, Atlas has never been able to see past their prejudices, have they?"

Cries of outrage came from throughout the crowd. "Oh, you don't have to believe me. I think I'll let you all see it happen for yourselves." The black queen disappeared from the screen and was replaced with live feed of the raucous protest cheering at the end of Sienna Khan's speech.

"So I ask you: When the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?"

Pyrrha stared blankly at the screen as the audio of the woman cut out and changed to audio of the protest. _This is it. This is how it all ends._

A woman with spiraling gazelle horns walked up to the mic and began to speak. "Thank you, Sienna..."

* * *

Ozpin shook his head as live feed of the protest started. Whipping back towards the desk, he urgently hit his comm button. "Glynda."

"Ozpin, it's happening, what do we do?!" she responded frantically.

Ozpin narrowed his eyes. "Get Miss Nikos to Amber _now_ , but do not follow. You and Qrow will go to the protest. I will ensure Beacon does not fall. We will not lose the Fall Maiden."

"Where are the Grimm?" Glynda asked.

"The only people who could hold them back from this much negativity is Harkan." Ozpin spun back around to look out the window. "He will come after Ruby and Neopolitan. Tell Qrow to trail them and stop him at all costs." Turning the call off, he gathered his cane and looked out over Vale far away and below.

 _I can only hope everything we have prepared will be enough._

* * *

"Thank you, Sienna, for your incredible words." Lilianne held herself high as the leader of the White Fang nodded at her side. "We stand here today as a people, sending the message that we will not sit idly by as our people are beaten in the streets and shot at intersections! While it was Tukson's unjust death that sparked our rage, it was the violent attack on Blake Belladonna that set this protest in motion. Tonight, Blake stands with us as she and her family have for their entire lives to declare that enough is enough!"

Blake gulped as she rose to her feet and waved the crowd. The people below roared in response, chanting "Belladonna! Belladonna!" She swayed in place, almost afraid as Sienna gestured her towards the microphone. _I've been preparing for this for days._ Kali gently pushed her forwards, and she sent one last look towards Yang before walking up to the microphone.

"Um, hi," she said. "I guess you already know me and my parents, but, um, my name is Blake and until recently, I was a member of the White Fang." Cheers from the audience, many she knew were coming from White Fang members. "I grew up in fighting and protesting. I mean, since I was six I've been going to strikes and demonstrations to end the inequality in our society. Even after my parents left the organization, I stayed until just recently, I decided to leave. When I did, I became a student at Beacon Academy."

Boos rang through the crowd but she shook her head to silence them. Taking a deep shuddering breath, she reached into her pockets and slowly pulled out her black ribbon. Holding it high in the air, she said, "I was afraid. I was afraid of the students I knew would not accept me, that my teammates would drive me away, that I would be treated differently for being who I am. So, I covered my ears. I tried to hide my faunus heritage from the world because I believed I didn't have any other choice."

The audience had fallen mostly silent, although she could make out Yang hurriedly talking into her comm behind her. _What's going on, Yang?_ Pushing her partner from her mind, she laughed nervously and said, "Well, that didn't last very long."

"Ruby Rose, my teammate, discovered who I really was, and my other two teammates found out as well." She had to step back from the mic for a second. "And I was so, so afraid, but they didn't hate me. They didn't try to drive me out. They were _proud_ of who I really was, and they accepted me with open arms."

Blake sighed. "That's why I left the White Fang, I think. Too many people didn't want peace and equality; they thought faunus are actually better than humans, and they wanted to burn these kingdoms to the ground. That's not what true equality stands for! Human and faunus, we're all the same and until everyone accepts that, nothing is going to change!"

"My team is here, helping protect this protest right now." Blake smiled back at Yang, who gave her a worried nod. "Without Team WBYR, I don't know where I would be right now. I know lots of you saw the video, and I- I don't even know what to say, that so many people are here because of me. I think Sienna said it best: this is the moment where everything changes, and I know the day will come soon when faunus and humans are treated as equals just like my team has supported me."

Applause and cheers rang through the crowd as she finished speaking, not nearly as much as for Sienna but still loud enough to swell her heart with pride. Dazedly, she let Sienna and Lilianne hug her then wandered back to Yang.

"You did incredible, sweetheart," Kali whispered to her, gently kissing her on the brow.

Nodding absently, Blake turned to Yang. "What's wrong?"

"Ruby and Weiss say something's about to happen right now," she said urgently, lilac eyes fearful as she clutched her comm.

"Wh..." Blake froze as an imposing figure exited the city hall and made for the podium. "Is that General Ironwood?"

* * *

Glynda sprinted through the stadium, her cloak flying out behind her. Dashing out into the arena, she found Pyrrha kneeling on the floor, sobbing as she watched the screen. "Blake..."

The deputy headmistress ignored her mumbling and pulled her to her feet. "Miss Nikos, we need to leave _now._ "

"I- I killed her. I killed Penny," Pyrrha whispered, unable to look at her. "What will Ruby say?"

"I'm sure- Oh my god, James. James. No, James, what are you doing?" Glynda said in abject horror, staring at the screen in shock as Ironwood made his way to the central podium. Pyrrha looked up as well, and her mouth dropped open as James took the mic and began to speak.

* * *

Ozpin blanched as he watched the protest unfold before him. _How could I have missed this?_ "That's not James…"

* * *

Dane held his head high as he walked out onto the stage. Faunus rose to their feet in confusion and anger around him, but he ignored them and walked to the podium. "Ironwood, what the hell are you doing?" Sienna hissed in fury, moving to block his path.

He roughly shouldered her out of the way and grabbed the mic. "Citizens of the four kingdoms and the territory of Menagerie. This is an unlawful protest in violation of Vale laws and the limited permit denied to you last month. Moreover, your association with a terrorist group responsible for murder and destruction means you are all liable for arrest."

Angry roars and screams filled the avenue as the entire protest exploded with rage. Dane fought to keep his face straight at the verbal assault, disgusted by his own actions. _I am sorry, but there is no other way. Your sacrifice will be immortalized, I swear._

All it took was one final step.

Dane opened his mouth once more and let every bit of internalized racism and self-hatred spill out into the open. "There will be no human-faunus equality, and there never will be! No _animal_ will ever be considered are equal, and this will be the last time any of you will ever crawl out of the gutter you came from!" He took a deep breath, pressed his hand to where the 'A' had been branded onto his chest, and delivered the death sentence. "Knights, you may fire on any faunus at will."

Before anyone could react, Dane pulled Ironwood's gun from his holster and shot Sienna Khan and Lilianne Heath dead on the spot.

That was when the screaming started.

* * *

 **[A/N] Holy shit. This is the longest chapter I've _ever_ written, clocking in at an absurd 13k, and the Volume Three finale, like in the show, is going to be even longer.**

 **First, the long flashback scene was major Volume Four set-up plus lots of backstory for Qrow, plus our first glimpse of Roman! The rest was all the protest and the finals, and oh my god was it an absolute roller coaster to write. RIP Penny, Sienna, and Lilianne – a canon death plus Dane's handiwork. Everybody is making their move, and nobody knows what the outcome will be.**

 **I really wanted to include Penny more in this fic, but ultimately I just didn't have time to work her in. In reality, most of her moments with Ruby happened during the three-month time skip between Vol 2 and 3 so it wouldn't have happened on screen even if I had worked her in. For the most part, those events were very similar to canon.**

 **A bunch of the dialogue in the Pyrrha/Penny fight and a lot of Cinder's speech come directly from the show, so obviously, credit goes to Miles and Kerry and everyone else at Rooster Teeth.**

 **The finale will either come out in two or three weeks. I hope y'all are ready.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 6/2/18 or 6/9/18**


	30. V3 - Abyss

Volume Three, Chapter Ten: Abyss

* * *

re:Bound

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date:

* * *

Everything faded away as the first gunshot rang out. Blake felt it in her chest, watching in stunned horror as Lilianne and Sienna slumped to the metal stage floor. As if in slow motion, Ironwood turned on his heel with an unusually cruel smirk and pointed the gun at her. She didn't have time to think or activate her aura, just to stare down the barrel of the gun as she realized one essential fact.

 _We failed._

Somebody slammed into Blake's torso just as the gunshot cracked over her head, knocking her violently to the steel surface. Her head snapped against the stage, sending black spots through her vision. Yang yanked her back to her feet and pulled her away from Ironwood. James' bullet had collided with another rights leader, and now he moved to shoot the elder Belladonnas. Ghira and Kali stood undefended across from him, and she screamed, "Mom! Dad! Watch out!"

Before Ironwood could shoot, Adam shot forward and locked his gun with Wilt. "Get the protesters out of the city!" he bellowed. "I'll deal with him!"

Fennec and Corsac leaped from their seats and killed Ironwood's personal guard in a matter of seconds. As one brother ran ahead to the town hall, the other commanded, "Everybody get into the City Hall!"

Blake exchanged a terrified gaze with her parents before they were swept away into the hall. Ironwood broke the contact with Adam and sprinted away from the stage and onto a side street. Roaring in rage, the Valean commander charged after him. "What do we do?" Yang asked urgently into her mic, taking control as Blake was still stunned.

"Kill the robots and get the protesters north!" Weiss shrieked back, evidently in the middle of fighting. "We have no time to spare!"

Shaking off her shock, Blake stepped up and seized the mic. "EVERYBODY GET AWAY FROM THE SQUARE AND LEAVE THE CITY! THE CITY LIMITS ARE TO THE RIGHT OF THE STAGE! MOVE NOW!"

Before she could repeat the message, a wild spray of gunfire shot towards the stage. They dodged under the podium for cover, and Blake drew Gambol Shroud. Yang leaned in for a desperate kiss, then cocked Ember Cecila. Her semblance was already in effect, red fury marring her face. "Neo and Weiss were on the south side, and we need to move north."

She nodded in determination. "Let's go."

* * *

Moments after the first gunshots rang out, the legion of Atlesian Knights opened fire on the protestors below. Instantly, hundreds of people collapsed onto the ground, screams of pain and panic filling the air. Seconds later, thousands of auras flared to life in the crowd, and a wild scream of "For the Fang!" pierced the air. Every White Fang member in the square drew a gun and returned fire on the robots, turning a peaceful protest into a hellish deadly crossfire.

It was all of Ruby's worst nightmares come to life.

 _ROSE! GET TO ME NOW!_

Without a second thought, Ruby ripped herself from her sniper's nest and shifted to naginata mode. Kicking off the roof, she launched herself in a straight line through the bots, slicing with her dust powered blade as she cleanly cleaved an entire row of enemies. Friendly fire from the White Fang caught her in the side, and she stumbled and nearly fell off a five-story rooftop to the pavement below. Desperate hands reached out to catch her, and Neo barely managed to hoist her back over the edge.

 _What do we do?_

 _We can't let them massacre the entire protest. We're on the ocean side, we have to let the protesters get out of the city._

 _Neo_ , Ruby whimpered, more than a little panicked.

 _We fight_ , she murmured back, unleashing her sword in one hand and Raven's dagger in the other. _Together. We've practiced this a million times. Speed and illusion always win._

Blake's voice burst through the violence, screaming for everyone to get out of the city. Neo and Ruby shared a look, then Ruby shot further into the line of robots.

Neo stopped still and concentrated. An intense explosion sounded from behind the line, and the soldiers turned away from the protest for a brief moment. When they turned back, they faced a solid brick wall extending as far down the square as Neo could manage. Unable to see the protest, they launched onto the nearest threat they could see – a supersonic and incredibly angry Ruby Rose. _Ruby, I think you have a couple seconds before I lose control of the illusion._

 _That's all I need._

Funneling as much aura as she dared into her semblance, Ruby shot straight through the Knights and directly into enemy fire. She made it through three blocks, clearing the highest concentrated area before she felt her aura beginning to wane. The illusion dropped, and she flung herself behind a concrete ledge before the Knights had an open line of fire. She could feel Neo's exhaustion through the bond. _Are they getting away?_

 _Blake and Yang are on the other roof, dealing with paladins. The people closest to the stage are getting away. Everyone further away than you…_

 _Oh my god._

 _It's a massacre._

Determination filled her. Shifting to machine gun mode, Ruby peeked the barrel of her gun over the roof's edge and opened fire on the knights. Robots collapsed under her heavy fire, but she could see the line continuing to fire all the way down to the industrial district. _It's not enough. What do we do?_

 _Shit. There's an_ entire legion of reinforcements _coming towards City Hall._

 _Fuck!_ Desperately, Ruby yelled into her comm, "Reinforcements coming from the south! What do we do?"

"I'm making ice barriers to stall them but I don't have much dust left!" Weiss yelled back. "We have to get people to the wall!"

"But what about the people further from the stage?" Blake asked. "There's an entire mile of defenseless people!"

"What if there are soldiers at the wall?" Yang asked darkly. "We have no choice. We have to save the people who can get away, and that's impossible if an entire horde of Grimm comes and kills them all!"

"But-"

"We have to trust the White Fang," Ruby said, ducking back under cover as she reloaded. "We have to believe they can get people away from the avenue before reinforcements arrive, and we have to save the people who get away."

A strangled sob came from Weiss' channel. "I- God. Ruby's right. WBYR, get to the front of the people fleeing. Yang and Blake, Neo and Ruby, _stay together._ I'll find the leaders. GO!"

The comms shut off. Ruby gave the soldiers further down the avenue one last hateful look, gulped at the advancing reinforcement behind her, and looked to Neo. _Together?_

 _Together._

Activating her semblance once more, Ruby shot back to Neo, picked her up, and launched them both off the roof and into the sea of bodies.

* * *

When the shots rang out, Amity Colosseum was silent. Nobody could react as the revolutionaries, the two figureheads of the faunus rights movement, fell to the ground at the hand of Atlas' most prominent general.

Then somebody screamed, and the stadium erupted into chaos.

"JAMES!" Glynda screeched in utter horror as Yang tackled Blake out of the way. "No. No! This can't- He would- What- Why…?" The final question lingered as a sob, and she was trapped by the screen until James and Adam fled the frame. Snapping to her senses, she dropped to one knee and violently shook Pyrrha. "Miss Nikos, we have to go!"

Tears streamed down Pyrrha's face. Penny's remains laid scattered on the stage, completely forgotten in the chaos. "I… killed her," she gasped, letting the deputy headmistress pull her to her feet and drag her from the stadium. Glynda shook her head in desperation, and the two women sprinted through the underbelly of the stadium.

A Bullhead waited at the docks, doors open. They made a dash for the aircraft only for Jaune, Nora, and Ren to cut them off in front of it. Pyrrha took one look at her boyfriend and fell into his arms, clutching his armor as she cried. "Mr. Arc, Mr. Ren, Miss Valkyrie, you cannot-" Glynda said before Jaune shook his head.

"Pyrrha told us something was going to happen, and it did. We don't care what's happening, we're going with you," he snapped, clutching Pyrrha. Nora and Ren nodded, wielding their weapons and moving closer to their leader.

Glynda hesitated, then her face broke. Nodding, she said, "I cannot come with you, students. I have to go to the city and stop this atrocity. You will find Ozpin in the entry hall. Miss Nikos, please- I-" Biting back a sob, she whispered, "Please tell Amber that I love her and I said goodbye." Unable to look at her any longer, she turned and ran to the next bullhead.

"Amber?" Ren echoed.

Pyrrha clenched her fists and forced herself to be calm, shoving her emotions deep inside as she had been forced to do so many times before. She broke away from Jaune and pushed past him into the Bullhead. "We have to move."

The rest of her team hesitated, then followed her lead. The airship pulled away from the coliseum and shot off towards Beacon at max speed. Ren and Nora were unprepared for the sudden movement and hit the side of the ship, while Jaune managed to grab a pole and his girlfriend to hold them steady. "Pyrrha…?"

"I killed her," she whispered in a dead tone.

"No. It's not your fault. You didn't know." Jaune laughed shakily. "How could you possibly know she was a robot?"

"But-"

"We can worry about that later," Ren snapped. Without asking, he grabbed her wrist and pushed his semblance into her body. "We can't panic right now. What's going on?"

Calm flooded Pyrrha's body, and she gave him a grateful nod. Without introduction, she said, "Magic is real. There are four powerful beings called maidens. One of the maiden's powers was partially stolen, and she's in stasis under the school. The woman who stole her powers is probably here and will probably use the attack as a front to get the rest. Ozpin selected me to take on her powers. The woman's name is Cinder Fall, and she's probably already here. I have to get the power before she does, or else we're all screwed."

"Magic?" Nora echoed.

Jaune gaped at her. "What do you mean, selected? Why you? How do you get the power if somebody else has it?"

"I don't know why. She's in a stasis pod. I think-" Even Ren's semblance wasn't enough to hold her disgust back. "I think Ozpin is going to rip the aura from her body and put it into mine. At least, that's what Ruby thinks."

"Ruby?" Jaune snarled.

Pyrrha nodded. "Ruby, Neo, and Blake have known since January. Ozpin told me this week. Weiss and Yang found out last night."

"Neo? Who's Neo?" Nora asked in confusion.

Pyrrha cursed her slip of tongue. "She's, um, Violet? It's complicated, I'll explain if we pull this off."

Ren stared for a moment, then shook his head. "That's… a lot. How- Why us?"

She could only shake her head.

"If this Cinder woman is coming after us now..." Nora trailed off, unable to finish her thought.

Pyrrha trembled in Jaune's grasp, Beacon coming into sight in the window. "She's powerful. Really, really powerful. And she doesn't work alone, she'll probably have back up and- and"

"We might die," Ren said softly.

Nora flinched, leaning against Ren. The team fell together into a group hug, Ren's semblance holding back the entire group's emotions. "This is what we trained for, isn't it? To fight the bad guys, to save the world?"

Jaune shuddered, then held his head up high. "Then we'll do it. We'll fight and we'll protect Pyrrha no matter what. Team JNPR. This is what matters. We can do it."

"This is my destiny," Pyrrha whispered, "but it doesn't have to be yours. It's not to late, you guys could stay back, go fight in the city, you don't have to- have to-"

"No." Jaune hugged her tighter. "We won't abandon you. We'll fight as a team, and there's _nothing_ you can do to stop us, so don't get any crazy ideas! I still remember when you tried to push me into one of the weapons lockers to get me out of a fight in the Emerald Forest."

She laughed breathlessly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"We're Team JNPR," Jaune said proudly, looking at each of his teammates in turn, "and nothing is ever going to change that."

The bullhead landed with a thud, the doors hissing open to reveal the twilight. Not wasting another second, the four teammates exited the aircraft and sprinted towards Beacon. Jaune drew Crocea Mors and led the charge, pushing the doors to the Great Hall open. Once into the school, they slammed the doors shut behind them and turned to meet the figure waiting in the halls.

Ozpin's emerald green eyes burned as he gestured towards the open elevator. "Mr. Ren, Miss Valkyrie, Mr. Arc, Miss Nikos. Follow me."

* * *

Cinder rose from her seat and closed her datapad. Handing it to Mercury, she watched the team of trainees disappear into Beacon's cavernous halls. "It's time. Emerald, Mercury, you know your roles."

"Why are we waiting outside the school, Cinder?" Emerald asked anxiously. "Let us come in, we could help you-"

"You would only get in the way," she said coldly. Emerald gaped at her, then turned away so the maiden wouldn't be able to see her face. "I will kill Ozpin, but I will not let the students distract me when I do so. You two are responsible for making sure they don't escape while I am fighting."

"Y-yes, of course," Emerald stammered. Cinder barely contained her disgust at the tears brimming in her eyes. "They will not get away."

"Emerald, you're embarrassing yourself," Mercury hissed, then nodded to Cinder. "Good luck."

Cinder inclined her head. "I don't need luck, Mercury. Those powers are as good as _mine_." Without giving her henchmen a second thought, she activated her powers and flew towards the school.

* * *

"Blake! Yang!"

Blake and Yang paused on their mad rooftop dash towards the city limits as Ruby collided with them, pulling them both into a hug. Without hesitation, the girls returned it. Neo slid off her back, and the quartet took a brief moment to pause from the violence. "Weiss is safe, she found the leader's motorcade and she's helping them get to the walls," Yang mumbled, too dazed to register her adoptive sister's presence.

Protesters ran by on the streets below them, and Ruby could see the distant Knights advancing from between her teammate's shoulders. "I knew it would be bad, but-"

"No. We'll have time to- to remember later." Blake took a shuddering breath. "Right now, we have to save the living."

"The troops?" Ruby asked, and Yang shook her head. "Do we stay together?"

"No, you two are faster so get to the front of the protesters. We'll- Oh, god." Blake paused, then broke free of the hug. "Ironwood and Adam!" Sure enough, the two men were chasing each other across a rooftop several blocks north. Without waiting for confirmation, she had already started running after them.

"Blake, wait!" Yang dashed after her partner, and Ruby moved to follow before Neo grabbed her arm. _Ruby, we have to get to the front of the protest. C'mon, they'll be fine!_

Ruby gave her sister and friend one last long look, then nodded. Neo jumped onto her back again, and they kept moving towards the wall. The giant concrete structure grew closer and closer, faunus pooling around the giant metal gate. Beyond the wall, Ruby could hardly see anything except black… black and white. Stopping on the last rooftop before the wide promenade separating the wall from the city, she set Neo down and they gaped at the horde of Grimm assembled at the outer treeline.

Not attacking the wall. Not breaking the stone.

 _Waiting._

"Don't open that gate!" Ruby screeched, but it was already too late. The metallic grinding filled the air as Ruby threw herself off the building and shot through the air. Colliding with the gate, she slid down its length as the faunus below gave her a wide berth. "The Grimm are-" Neo got to her side, but they both fell silent when the gate rose enough to see the solitary figure standing behind it.

Ruby felt only dread as the pale-faced man rose his head and drew back his hood. "Harkan," she whispered as the Lich looked straight at her and licked his lips.

* * *

Dane hit the ground with a mighty impact. Legs aching from the rooftop jump into the alley, he allowed himself a smirk as he crashed through a nearby storefront and waited. The citizens inside fled screaming. He quickly stripped off the uniform, leaving him in only the plain underclothes underneath. Going through the store, he dumped the uniform and Ironwood's gun into the nearest dumpster. Taking a deep breath, he allowed himself to shift back to his normal form and reentered the storefront.

Adam Taurus leaned against the entryway, lazily swinging Wilt with one hand. Dane met his gaze and nodded. "It's done, Adam. Sienna and Lilianne are dead, and our people are dying in the streets. Are you satisfied?"

"You wanted Ironwood dead, and you got it," Adam growled. "Nothing ever changes without blood."

Dane barked in laughter, harsh and mournful. "And if all of this is not worth it? If our organization crumples under today's loss and faunus rights die, what then?"

"I will not let it die!" he spat back. "I am not a fool, Dane Lilac, and the cards have been played in our favor. Soon, humanity will kneel at our feet and know the same pain they have given us!"

"Whatever you say, High Leader Taurus," Dane mocked. "I'm sure the world will just hand itself to you on a silver platter."

Adam's eyes flashed. "And you assume that you'll be there to see it."

Dane froze, his hand flying to the knife strapped to his leg. In a dangerously low tone, he said, "I hope you don't _really_ mean to challenge me like that, Adam. I control every White Fang member in Mantle, yet I have graciously stepped aside to let you assume control. Do not test my patience."

Adam chuckled darkly, idly tracing Wilt's blade with his hand. "Oh, I'm sure that made an impression on the general, commander. After all, Dane Lilac left the White Fang a year ago to attend Haven Academy, turning his back on his people to join the humans."

Dane's claws shot from his hand, tearing his blade free of his pants. Face contorting in rage, he snarled, "A necessary deception for your plans-"

"Mantle is no longer yours," Adam said smoothly, impartially. "Your men watched you fight on TV when your brothers in arms protested on this ground. There is a new commander in Atlas, loyal to _me_ rather than your little… grudge." The high commander lazily traced the outline of an 'A' on his chest, eliciting a hiss from Dane. "I supposed that would make you a deserter, wouldn't it?"

"You dare," he breathed.

Adam drew himself to his full height, flicking the switch on Wilt to activate its dust capabilities. "Traitor. Shall I tell you all the… _wonderful_ stories I heard from Cinder's pawns? How you enjoyed your time with the humans? Unless you have an… explanation for why you call _Weiss Schnee_ , heiress to our greatest enemy, 'Snow Angel?'"

"I fight for change and revenge for what was done to me," Dane snarled. "I have killed the boys that branded me. I have killed the generals and teachers that stood by and let it happen. I killed the racists Ironwood stuck me with after the pawns ditched me. And now I have killed thousands of innocents because _you_ believe change is on the horizon. But never, _never_ , have I stopped seeing those people as _human_ and _faunus_! Not all faunus are good and not all humans deserve to die!"

"And you are a traitor for it!" Adam roared.

"No." Dane flexed his muscles, fur rippling, and took a ready stance for combat. "I am evil – necessary for change, but evil – and Weiss Schnee one of the best damn leaders I've ever had."

Adam pushed off the wall and took his own combat stance. "You ought to count yourself lucky, Lilac. We don't just kill traitors anymore. No, that would be a release, and _traitors_ don't get to be free of their obligations. Tukson Lupa was a traitor, and he sparked the greatest revolution in written history. Blake Belladonna was a traitor, and she brought the entire world together for this moment. And you… Your time is up, Dane Lilac. Becoming a martyr is more than you deserve."

Dane considered Adam for a moment. "Y'know, I always respected you, Taurus. Guess maybe that was more than you deserve." Giving him a savage smirk, he flipped him off with both hands. "I'd like to see you _try_ to kill me, Horn Head."

Adam flew at him with his full might. Dane caught the blow head-on, easily stronger than the bull faunus, and kicked him back into a wall. Pressing his advantage, he landed a roundhouse kick on Adam's shoulder as he staggered to his feet then rammed a brutal punch into his gut. He drew back his knife to strike, but Wilt came up to block his blow before he could land it.

Swordplay had never been Dane's strength, and they both knew it. Adam danced around his slightly clumsy strikes, slowly building up blows against him. Seizing an opportunity, Dane locked blades with Adam and forced him backwards until they were pressing against the wall together. Adam growled, then yanked Blush from his side to Dane's gut and pressed the trigger.

The dust explosion didn't break his aura, but it certainly took the wind out of his sails. Now Adam fought with both parts of his weapon, Wilt and Blush working together in deadly harmony. Dane's simple knife was hard pressed to keep up against Adam's superior speed, and he began to realize that he was outmatched. Desperately, he tried one last ploy.

Adam grunted when Dane charged him and slammed him into the concrete wall. A clawed fist raked down his face, leaving deep gouges through his cheek, eyebrow, and nose. He screamed in agony and Dane smirked, slashing his knife across Adam's leg in a deep gouge.

Letting his guard down was the last mistake he ever made.

Wilt sunk into Dane's chest, and he gasped as deep pain filled his entire body. Adam shoved his shoulder and removed his blade. Dane staggered back several paces then fell to his knees, clutching the gushing wound in his stomach.

Adam knelt by his side and gently took the knife from his hands. "It's okay, Lilac. You had the honor of killing Ironwood, and you will forever be the one who pushed this conflict over the edge."

Dane laughed weakly, then spat at Adam's feet. "Yeah. I killed them. I'd rather die than keeping living as a slave to Fire Bitch and Pale Face. So fuck you, Horn Head. Live the rest of your life knowing you'll never be anything more than an _animal_ in somebody else's game. See you in hell, asshole."

Adam regarded him coolly, then turned his head towards the storefront. For a brief moment, Dane locked eyes with Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long, who were staring at him and Adam in terror. His vision fading, he offered them a signature smirk.

 _Not just a human and a faunus. Not just huntresses._

 _They were my friends._

Dane's smirk turned into a smile. Then he felt the sharp pain of steel at his neck and knew no more.

* * *

The elevator doors slid open, and Ozpin and Team JNPR stepped out into Beacon's vault.

Jaune gaped at the massive vaulted ceiling and the columns around him. "What is this place?"

"This is Beacon's vault, one of the safest places in the world," Ozpin replied, their footsteps echoing as they flew through the dim halls. "Many things are kept here, but we decided this would be the safest place to hide Amber."

Pyrrha fought down her growing fear and desperation as she ran. Her gaze darted back and forth as if Harkan was waiting somewhere in the wings to jump out and rip them to pieces. She shot Ren a questioning glance, and he shook his head. Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath and focused on the polar currents flowing through her armor and weapons. Her semblance always was able to at least partially calm her, but now all she could see was Penny's mangled remains strewn across the stadium.

Finally, they made it to the pods. The corruption had begun to spread on Amber's face, and Ren and Nora gasped and stopped short when they saw the comatose maiden. Ozpin wasted no time. "Pyrrha! Get to the pod!"

Pyrrha looked at the pod, then gathered Jaune up into a desperate kiss. He returned it and let her pull away. "I love you," she whispered, then turned on her heel walked to the pod.

"What-"

Ozpin cut Nora off with a glance. "You three, guard these pods at all costs. Mr. Arc, may I suggest you use your shield to cover Amber's pod?"

Jaune nodded and ran to the other pod. Ren and Nora exchanged an uncertain glace, then took stances together in front of Pyrrha.

Pyrrha took a deep breath and turned to Ozpin. "What do we do now?"

Ozpin furiously typed in a sequence on the console connecting the pods, and the empty pod hissed open. "We do nothing. You, Miss Nikos, have a choice to make."

She looked from Ozpin to Jaune and took a deep breath. _It's time, I guess._ A single tear trickled down her cheek. Wiping it away, she climbed into the pod and crossed her arms as it hissed shut around her. The white leather cradled her under the yellow light, and serenity overtook her. _Wait…_ "Jaune. No matter what happens, you have to protect Amber or this will all be for nothing!" she yelled. Her boyfriend gave her a look that spoke of utter pain but he nodded.

Jaune watched as Pyrrha climbed into the pod, his heart threatening to rip out of his chest. It took every instinct in his body not to run to her side and rip her from the electronics. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to keep his eyes locked on the darkness ahead.

"Are you ready?" Ozpin asked, and Pyrrha nodded. He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "I… I need to hear you say it."

"Yes."

"Thank you Miss Nikos."

Ren and Nora cried out in alarm as the pods rose up into the air. Ozpin inputted several more button combinations, then pressed the confirm button. Amber's body began to glow orange, and the tubes connecting the pods glowed orange as well. Pyrrha stared fearfully as the orange glow surrounded her, then the most intense pain she had felt in her entire life ripped through her body.

Jaune began silently crying but forced himself to keep his gaze forward and ignore his girlfriend's cries of agony. _She asked me to protect Amber no matter what._ Behind him, Ozpin quietly whispered, "I'm so sorry..."

He caught a glimpse of flames far off in the darkness.

 _Cinder Fall_.

Acting off of complete instinct, Jaune knew that if he did nothing Amber would die. Forgetting his shield, he crossed his arms and felt something deep inside of him flare up. A scream ripped itself from his lips, and he uncrossed his arms, sending a wave of pure white aura through the vault.

The arrow that was aimed at Amber's heart vaporized in mid-air, and Cinder was flung backward into a marble column.

Ozpin turned around and cried out in alarm, creating a green bubble around JNPR and the pods. At the same time, Cinder shrieked in rage and launched an intense burst of flames at the pods. The world outside the bubble exploded into a raging inferno; Nora screamed in fear and clung to Ren, as Ozpin turned to Jaune before falling to his knees. "Mr. Arc! I need your, help!"

Jaune sprinted over. "What? How?"

"I have, suspected, but now, I know, your semblance," the immortal panted, bowing his head. "I cannot hold for, much longer. Lay your hands on me, and, and push your aura into mine!"

"But-"

Ozpin's eyes flared. "Do it or we die!"

Nodding, Jaune pressed his hands to the headmaster's shoulder. Reaching inside of him, he _pushed._ Both of them began to glow white, and Jaune gaped. "What… What am I doing?"

He got a tired smile in return. "Congratulations, you can transfer aura, and you may have just saved Miss Nikos' life."

The green shield glowed stronger, and Pyrrha kept on screaming.

Inside the pod, she knew nothing but pain. The aura pumped through her body further and further, and the glow around her grew stronger. She began to realize that she wasn't just getting aura, she was _on fire_. Desperately, she banged her fist against the solid glass but it wouldn't give, and she regretted her choice for a moment with every bone in her body. The world around her began to fade, and suddenly she was watching memories that weren't hers.

 _A young girl with piercing green eyes looked at her in pure joy, holding her hand as they glided along the frozen lake. Mantle's crystal sky glowed above them, and the girl pulled her into a laughing hug. "You did it, Amber, you did it!"_

 _The scene shifted, and suddenly the same girl stood before her blushing in a no-nonsense skirt and a purple cape. "I look ridiculous, Amber, don't I?" she asked in disappointment, and Pyrrha shook her head and pulled her into a tight hug._

 _"You're always beautiful, Glynda. I love it!"_

 _What's… happening? s_ omebody asked in the void, to which Pyrrha could only whimper and shake her head.

 _Pyrrha knelt before Glynda_ _on one knee and opened her fist to reveal a twisting metal band with a brilliant emerald. Eyes sparkling, she said, "Amber Lush, I love you more than anything else in the world. Someday, after we're huntresses and saving the world, will you marry me?"_ _Crying, Glynda nodded and let the band slip onto her ring finger._

 _The world shifted again, and they were sitting in Beacon's auditorium wildly applauding._ _"_ _Glynda Goodwitch! Amber Lush! Laurel Dusktree! Kyle Lime!" Glynda took her hand and pulled her on stage with a wild grin,_ _meeting up with a boy with short black hair with green highlights and an intensely pale girl with sandy hair. "Congratulations! You four will be Team GALL, lead by Glynda Goodwitch!" Glynda gasped in happiness, and Pyrrha locked her into a furious kiss._

 _What's happening to me?_ Pyrrha screamed back into the void, back towards where the mysterious voice had come from.

 _Beacon flew by in happiness and sorrow and fights and laughter until GALL were all young hunters and huntresses on a team mission._ _Crushing regret filled Pyrrha as she watched the powers of Spring flow from Juliette's crumpled form to Laurel. Kyle rushed to his girlfriend and partner's side only to be blown back as she exploded in furious blue flames, lashing out and slaughtering the Grimm around them that had ended the former Maiden's life._

 _Glynda and Pyrrha were at dinner, laughing and stealing kisses as Laurel stared out the window moodily and Kyle watched her in worry._

 _And then they were back on the frozen plains of Atlas, GALL and STRQ and the other guardians standing between_ _the Grimm army and the kingdom. She and Glynda got separated from Kyle and Laurel, moved to the front lines with Summer and Qrow and Ozpin. Pyrrha screamed as Summer Rose, her friend who looked just like Ruby Rose, her best friend, incinerated herself under the power of her own silver eyes, vaporizing the entire Grimm army in a single blow. She remembered stumbling back to the camp with Glynda only to find Laurel and Kyle's broken bodies. She remembered how she and Glynda fell apart together as their team fractured and died that night. She remembered the powers of Spring destroying Lilia from the inside out, just like they had destroyed Laurel before._

 _No,_ they whispered together, crumbling under the weight of the memory that had torn the guardians apart and fractured their lives forever. Now Pyrrha screamed not for herself but for Laurel and Kyle and Summer and STRQ and how she would never, ever, ever get to see Glynda again, and…

 _Pyrrha screamed as the power of Fall filled her body, burning her to ash and reforming her in the pure power of magic. Glynda watched desperately from afar, clutching her ring and sobbing, helpless to do anything to help her._

 _Then they were torn apart. Ozpin never had them in the same place for long; a stolen kiss here, and telephone call there. Salem was on her train and she could only flee until she found herself in Lionheart's care in Mistral. The lion faunus bowed his head and said, "I am sorry, Amber, but you must leave tonight. She is here, and there is nothing more I can do to protect her."_

 _Pyrrha felt the slow canter of the horse beneath her. She watched the child in the road disappear, fought Emerald and Mercury and Cinder only to lose. She felt the beetle bury into her face and drain her power, leaving its toxin behind. Qrow saved her, the fading remains of the guardians, and fled with her as she faded to darkness._

Pyrrha and Amber collided with each other in the void, clinging to each other in a desperate embrace. "I'm sorry," Pyrrha sobbed into the shorter woman's shoulder.

"I saw your life too. You didn't deserve… you don't deserve what Ozpin has done to you," Amber choked back. "You never deserved any of what happened to you."

They held each other for a few moments longer, bonded by an essential intimacy many people had never even dreamed of. Pyrrha slipped out of the embrace until only their hands touched, Amber's fingers dissolving into sparks and melding into her hands. "You're fading," she whispered.

"Yes." Amber reached up to brush her tears away, ghostly outlines pressing against her face. "Soon I will be gone, and you and Glynda will be all that is left to carry my memories."

Pyrrha met her soft brown eyes, wishing Amber would never have to go away, that she could always stand by her side. "Will I become you?"

Amber shook her head with a sad smile. "No, Pyrrha. You will always be Pyrrha Nikos. Our auras are who we are, and mine will disappear once the maiden powers leave me. This bond… Even if it was just for the briefest moment, you are like a sister to me. I hope you can remember me like I know Glynda will."

"She told me..." Choked up, Pyrrha had to take a moment as Amber's arms and legs began to fade. "She told me to tell you that she loves you and that… that she says goodbye."

Amber's tears flowed freely as she wept, and she gave her a smile. "Tell her I loved her too. She… she was… to me… She… I..."

Pyrrha nodded, drawing the fading maiden in for a final hug. "She was your everything," she echoed, "and she always will be."

Amber nodded, her torso nearly completely gone. "Tell her… Tell Glynda that I love her and that I'll be with her forever." One final tear fell, and then Pyrrha was the only one left in the darkness.

Reaching out to nothing, she whispered, "I will, Amber. I promise I will."

In Pyrrha's mindscape and in the real world, her body flashed once and then was engulfed by the flames.

Ren and Nora screamed as the pod exploded, aura their only protection as they collided with Ozpin's bubble. Eyes widening, Ozpin barely managed to create smaller bubbles around Ren and Nora and himself with Jaune before the big one shattered and Cinder's fire poured in, incinerating the remains of the pods completely.

Pyrrha's screams reached their apex as her body burned. She writhed in pain, slowly rising into the air as she clung to the memory of Amber's touch, a touch she had felt only once but would never feel again. In her mindscape, though she began to feel another presence, something malicious, something evil.

As two souls of fire were bound together by ancient magic, she realized she wasn't the only one who was screaming.

W _hat have you done to me? What have you done to me?!_ "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!" Cinder Fall screamed, dissipating her attack as her entire body lit up like a human torch.

 _I didn't do anything!_

"LIAR!" At that moment, both Cinder and Pyrrha's bodies arced in mid-air and a river of fire burst between them, tying their auras together and burning them in the flames. _THIS POWER IS MINE!_

 _No! I won't let you destroy us! I won't let Amber's death be in vain!_

 _I am the Fall Maiden!_ they both screamed mentally at the same time, and the final mental floodgate between them broke.

 _her name was Audrey Calla she was_ _twenty-seven years old but she died when she was eighteen she saw her mom and dad how they would fight against Grimm and save people and she loved them she loved them when they were killed by humans in a Mistrali alleyway and left her left her alone they loved her and they left her to rot in the orphanage she remembered how the woman used to beat her and the others they lived together she loved them she loved them until the woman locked them out one day she didn't know it would snow when they froze to death she barely survived until she took the woman's lighter and set the orphanage on fire she was fire why did everything burn on the streets she fought and killed and survived her aura was red her semblance was fire she found the men who killed her parents and made them pay she remembered Luca her love she was sixteen and they had a home and she loved him she loved him when she lost control and fought with him until she burned him and burned the house down with him she burned until everything was black and then she died. her name was Cinder Fall she was twenty-seven years old but she was born when she was eighteen she remembered the Grimm how they feared Hazel he found her he saved her he killed her she hated him she hated when he brought her to Salem how she killed and killed and killed until the Grimm would fear her too and now she was fire and now she was vengeance and now she was two and she burned and burned and burned and-_

Pyrrha had barely been able to handle three decades of Amber's memories, and now she crumpled under the darkness in Cinder's mind. Physical agony turned mental, and she and Cinder slumped to the ground at the same time. Jaune tried to rush to her side, but Ozpin caught his arm and ripped it back. "Do not go near her."

"She's in pain!" Jaune exclaimed. "I can't just leave her-"

"No!"

Cinder was the first to recover, and she stumbled unsteadily to her feet. Red dress glowing, she stared at Pyrrha in fear and loathing. _I can… feel you. How is this possible? Salem didn't say anything about this!_

Eyes squeezed shut, Pyrrha struggled to meet the other maiden's pose. _You're in my head. You can't be in my head. It's impossible._

Tilting her head to the side, Cinder contemplated the Mistrali champion. _Open your eyes._ For a brief moment, she braced herself for a compulsion like Ruby could give Neo, then relaxed slightly when none came. Letting her eyes slip open, she met burning amber eyes. _Pyrrha Nikos._

Deep chills ran down her spine, dulling even the fire for a moment. _Audrey Calla._

Cinder sneered, her hands flaring violently. _That is not my name._

 _That's a lie. I… I know you. How… how can I…_

 _Aura bond. One aura, two people. Textbook definition. FUCK!_ Ren, Nora, and Jaune backed further away from the two maidens as Cinder burned even brighter. The melted marble around them smelled of ozone and death.

 _What do we do?_ Pyrrha asked quietly, her stomach twisting. For the past three days, she had been imagining Cinder Fall as an inhuman monster. To have that notion so completely turned in her face rocked her world. _You're… human._

 _Well, no fucking shit._ _What did you think I was, some Grimm mutant like Harkan?_ Cinder snarled. _And there is no 'we,' we are not going to_ do _anything, and I am going to slaughter you before I get attached again!_

The words struck like a punch to the gut. Pyrrha's momentary empathy shriveled in an instant, and she summoned Milo and Akouo to her hands. Her anger burned around her – no, not anger, _fury._ "You killed Amber," she whispered, meeting her eyes. "This is your fault."

 _And you get to die knowing it._

 _I don't lose._

Cinder launched toward Pyrrha without another warning, only to be stopped by a wide green shield blocking her from the other maiden. Ozpin stood between the maiden and JNPR. "Run!" he yelled. "Find Glynda and don't look back! I'll deal with Fall!"

 _Oh, old man, you have no ide-_

 _He's going to kick your ass,_ Pyrrha hissed bluntly as Jaune rushed to her side and pulled her away. Shaking in fury, she shook free of her boyfriends grip and sprinted towards the elevator with the rest of JNPR. _You've already lost the battle._

 _You have no idea what you're up against. You can try to run. I'll come for you one the old man is dead._ Not sparing Pyrrha another thought, Cinder turned to Ozpin and narrowed her eyes. "You knew. You knew this would happen."

Ozpin shook his head. "You will not be leaving this vault, Cinder Fall. Miss Nikos will be the next fall maiden."

"Such arrogance." Cinder contemplated her greatest enemy for a moment, pushed the other maiden to the back of her mind, and attacked Ozpin with everything she had.

 _I hope you're ready to die._

* * *

Harkan smiled as he strode through the main gate of the kingdom of Vale. Every faunus around the gate immediately backpedaled, creating a ten-foot ring around the Lich, Ruby, and Neo. Muted fear and confusion filled the crowd, both at Harkan and the line of Grimm waiting behind him. Taking a raspy breath, he said, "It has been so long since I have been to this city..."

Ruby shrunk back slightly, Rising Thorn quavering in her grasp. Neo's eyes were bright white even as she stepped in front of Ruby and settled into a combat stance with her umbrella. _Let me speak._ Ruby's head fell, and Neo met his gaze defiantly. "I know what you are," she spat, her illusions beginning to swirl around the duo. " _Lich._ "

Harkan looked down on them impassively. "You are already mine. Your defiance is… unnecessary. You cannot kill me. You cannot even hurt me."

"Fuck you." Ruby's voice quavered at Neo spoke, and Harkan laughed.

"Vulgarity. I expected more of you, Neopolitan. You two are beneath my concern." Bending his legs, Harkan sprang backward and into the air, flipping to come to a graceful landing atop the wall. Clearing his voice, he boomed, "Faunus of Remnant!"

"Who are you?" somebody in the crowd yelled back.

Reaching up to his collarbone, Harkan unfastened his cloak and let it flutter away on the wind. Slowly, two massive wings unfurled from his back, black and red and white just like Grimm wings. "I offer my people safe haven, both from the Grimm and from the humans! Leave this city now, and you will be given shelter, food, and arms! I control these Grimm, and they will turn on any who remain in Vale after you have fled!"

"What about the soldiers?" somebody else yelled.

He smirked. "They are made of metal, are they not?" Reaching to his back, he drew his massive broadsword, which glowed orange in the night, and thrust it skywards. Seizing the handle with his other hand, he plunged the blade into the solid stone and made an unearthly roar.

Instantaneously, a blue shockwave exploded outward from the Grimm man's blade. Infinitely more powerful than the wave used on Ruby's training mission, it tore through the city. Every soul on the promenade stood in awe as block after block of the city went dark, every streetlight and houselight vanishing into the darkness. Ruby gaped until the EMP reached the Atlesian fleet high above the city, then shrieked when the massive battleships stopped floating and plummeted downwards towards the city. The flagship nosedived into the middle of the city's core, exploding in a blast that rose high into the sky and resonated through the entire city. Smaller ships fell around it, shaking the ground with every impact.

Vale went from dustlight to flames in a matter of seconds.

 _He just… he just destroyed the entire Atlesian army with a single attack. How?_ Neo whimpered, and Ruby couldn't find it in her to respond. Even from street level, she could tell the incredible destruction he had just wrought, too much for her to wrap her brain around it.

"Mankind can fall," Harkan said, still projecting his voice across the crowd. "Their strength is fragile and their systems are weak. I offer my safe haven. Any faunus is free to leave this city, but know this: the humans and Ozpin are at fault for this destruction! Your hunters have failed and your leaders are shooting our kind dead in the street! If you ever wish to be free, I offer you your only way out." He gestured to the dark forest beyond the walls and bowed his head.

The crowd hesitated for a long moment, then streamed out of the gate and into the arms of the Grimm. Fearing for the protestor's life, Ruby shot to the front of the crowd and brandished her naginata only to find the Grimm parting to make a clear path for the faunus, beyond which was empty forest. She gaped at the Grimm, then spun back around to see Harkan watching her with a predatory gaze from atop the wall. Neo ran to her side and held her sword out in a feeble gesture as Ruby reached down and tried to activate her comm.

Nothing happened. They looked at each other and shifted closer together. _We're on our own._

A giant screech interrupted Ruby before she could respond, and she flinched as an entire flock of Nevermores and Griffons flew overhead towards the city. Some of the fleeing faunus screamed as they passed, but most simply redoubled their efforts to run.

"Oh, Ruby Rose..." Harkan said, rising from his landing point and fixing his gaze on them. With his massive broadsword and unearthly wings, he looked every part of the demons who had always haunted Ruby's storybooks and nightmares. "I do believe you owe me a rematch."

Ruby looked behind them and found nothing but trees – the Grimm had left the roadside to attack the city. _Do we run?_

 _Absolutely._

Neo leaped onto her back, and Ruby shot off into the forest. Immediately they were assaulted by Beowulves and Creeps, Grimm attacking from every direction to stop their motion. They had barely made it a hundred yards before they were pinned against the city wall by Grimm making a circle around the two huntresses. Just as they were about to attack, Harkan's blade cleaved clean through an entire line of monsters, turning them to dust.

Thrusting his blade back into the earth, Harkan activated the dust chamber. A ring of flames sprang to life around them and the trees lit up with deathly shadows. Pulling his sword from the ground, he said, "Now where do you two think you're going?"

This time Ruby stood in front of Neo, defiantly protecting her from the Grimm faunus. "Get away from us! Leave us alone!"

Harkan cocked his head. "I don't think so. I hope you are ready to die, Ruby Rose." Without waiting for another cue, Harkan drew back and attacked.

* * *

Blake and Yang sprinted through the streets of Vale, desperately trying to find where Adam and Ironwood had gone. Once they had vanished from the rooftops, the partners were forced to search the surrounding blocks – a fruitless pursuit until a pedestrian ran by and yelled about a fight in a storefront. They ran towards the store as fast as possible, only to stop stock still at the entrance as they saw the scene inside.

Dane Lilac knelt before Adam Taurus, blood gushing from a deep wound in his stomach. Yang watched into horror as the two had a conversation, frozen in place and unable to interfere. Blake made an awful noise in her throat, taking a hesitant step forwards only to stop when Adam turned Dane's head towards them. For a brief second, Yang wondered if Adam was going to let him go.

Then the White Fang leader decapitated their classmate.

"DANE!" Blake shrieked as his body slumped to the ground. Ripping Gambol Shroud from her holster, she pointed her sword at him and screamed, "YOU MONSTER!"

"No. No. NO!" Yang's body exploded with the power of her aura. Without waiting for Adam to say anything, she flung himself at the bull faunus with everything she had.

Blake saw the glint in Adam's eyes and immediately knew what was coming. "YANG, DON'T!" she yelled, but it was already too late.

The world flashed red for a moment as Adam activated his semblance and sliced forwards. In a single clean strike, Yang's arm severed from her body and her aura broke. Blake screamed as her girlfriend collapsed to the ground in an unmoving heap, her detached limb cast to the side.

Adam turned to her with a vicious smirk. A series of deep gouges ran across his face, obviously a product of Dane's attack, and blood streamed down his neck. At his leg, too, a deep cut was spilling blood, albeit slower. "Hello there, _my love_."

Blake took a deep breath, looked from her maimed girlfriend to her dead classmate, and snarled, "You monster!"

Before either of them could attack, a massive pulse of blue energy smashed through the storefront. Every light around them instantaneously went off, and the dust infusion on Adam's blade died. Something in the next building exploded as the electricity died, and suddenly the only light around them was a crackling fire slowly creeping towards them. They both looked around wildly for the cause, then Adam's eyes lit up in recognition. "Our plans are going off flawlessly."

"You did this," she whispered. "Adam, these are our own people and they are dying in the streets! Why? This could have been something beautiful! This was the day everything was going to change!"

"And change it will. Such a shame that you won't be around to see it." Adam launched himself at her, and she sidestepped his wild blow and responded in kind. Before Adam could lock their blades, she leaped away, maneuvering towards Yang. "This could have been _our_ day! We could have ruled this world together and brought the humans to their knees, but you betrayed us!"

"Are you INSANE?" Blake ducked a blow, flinching as the inferno blew out a window above them, and launched into an intense close combat routine she had practiced against Adam often. "OUR people are DYING BECAUSE OF YOU! Leaving your bullshit behind was the best fucking choice I've ever made!"

"All I wanted was you, Blake," he snapped, driving her back as he responded with his own series of attacks.

"I'm a _fucking lesbian_ , Adam!"

"Then explain-"

"You raped me!" Blake aimed a kick at Adam's leg, sending him staggering backwards followed by a slash that cut across his right arm. "I was FOURTEEN! Fuck you!"

A sharp left hook caught her unprepared, and she staggered back unguarded. In one quick move, Adam ripped Gambol Shroud from her hands and sunk Wilt deep into her abdomen. Blake wheezed and fell to her knees as the sword ripped out of her body. _No… Not like this…_

Adam stared distastefully at the blade then launched a vicious kick at her chest that sent her flying into the wall. "I gave you _everything_ and you threw it back in my face! I loved you and you betrayed me! So, as I set out upon this world and deliver the justice mankind so greatly deserves, I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love."

"No," she whispered, as he slowly turned with his sword.

"Starting with _her_."

Ignoring the injury to her own body, Blake threw the rest of her aura into her semblance and dashed to Yang's side. As Adam reared back to strike, she created a shadow clone, picked up Yang and her weapon, and fled the store as fast as she dared. Yang's form hung limp in her arms, a dangerous amount of blood pooling in a trail behind them. They barely made it a block before Blake stumbled and they collapsed in a bloody heap in the middle of the road.

"Yang. Yang. No, you can't- You can't be-" she whispered, starting to cry as she picked herself up to look at the injury. _Direct pressure, come on…_ Unbuttoning her vest, she pressed the black fabric against the wound, but to no avail. Kneeling over her despite the intense pain in her stomach, she ripped a long strip off her vest and clumsily tried to make a makeshift tourniquet, knowing full well that she was failing.

A roar from behind her stunned her into inaction. Mutely, she turned to see a Griffon standing behind her, red eyes glowing in its bone white mask. She tried to rise to defend, but her knees gave out and she collapsed at Yang's side. Closing her eyes, a sob escaped her chest. "I love you, Yang," she whispered, grabbing her girlfriend's remaining hand and bracing for an attack that never came.

Raven stood over the couple, black hair wild as the Griffon dissolved into a cloud of black smoke. Vernal and Silo ran out of the open portal after her, armed but struck silent by the devastation around them. The Nevermore Queen knelt by Blake's side and murmured, "Blake, can you walk?"

She shook her head, the world beginning to fade to black. "Save… Yang," she whispered.

The last thing she remembered before passing out was strong arms and red clouds.

* * *

When the elevator went dark and stopped moving, Pyrrha was fairly convinced that they were all about to die.

"What happened?" Jaune exclaimed. "I can't see anything!"

 _What do we do?_ An explosion rattled the elevator from deep below, and Pyrrha gasped as she felt the collision as if it had happened to her. Thoughts swirled violently in her mind, darkness contrary to her mind seeking to pull it under. Shaking, she fought to keep herself under control, keeping her eyes sealed. _If you explode again, you'll kill all three of them. You're the Fall Maiden now._

 _You can do this._

"Pyrrha." When her eyes slid open, she saw the world around her through red film. Ren reached across the elevator, tightly gripping her wrist and pushing his semblance across so forcefully that she could see the light pink glow of his aura around his hand. "We need to get away from Beacon, and you're the only one who can make this elevator move. Can you use your semblance?"

She nodded shakily. Extending her arms to either side, she tried to focus on the magnetic fields around them. After a moment's effort, she said, "I- I can't feel the metal. There's too much fire, and Cinder- She-"

"What about Cinder?" Ren asked, Nora and Jaune both struck silent in fear.

"I can _feel_ her," she whispered, glowing brighter. "I- I saw her mind, I know what Salem wants from her, I- I can feel her fighting Ozpin, and I… I think she's winning..."

Strong arms gripped her and pulled her close. "Pyr, we can worry about that later but we have to get out of this elevator," Jaune said, pulling her hair back and pressing his hand to her cheek. "Can you try to shut Cinder out and use your semblance?"

Squeezing her eyes shut again, Pyrrha dropped back into her mental inferno. Summoning years of meditative practice, she pushed it aside with all her might, desperately searching for her aura. Had Cinder been focusing on her, she might not have managed it, but she was able to carve her way through the onslaught of experiences and emotions to find her core. Taking desperate refuge in the familiar black of her aura, she channeled it to her hands, spread her arms, and _pushed._

The elevator shot upwards like a bullet. Once she had tapped her aura, she all but lost control of it, bringing them far past the ground floor where the main hall stood. The box ricocheted against the failsafe at the top of the shaft, and the doors flung open sending the team tumbling out into Ozpin's office.

The headmaster's office was eerily silent. There was no natural light, only the fiery glow from Pyrrha and the rouge tinted windows surrounding them. Ozpin's desk had been abandoned in a rush – a chessboard, half played to completion, had been knocked from the desk and a scattered coffee mug leaked black brew into a stack of paper. A white rook had come to a stop before where Pyrrha had fallen. Idly, still stunned by the ascent, she reached out in nostalgic memory, grasping for the Emerald Forest far below. A spark twisted at the ends of her fingers, and the marble darkened and began to melt under her fingers. Startled, she dropped it.

Molten marble dripped down her hand, yet she felt no pain at all.

"Oh my god..." Nora pressed against the glass, staring bleakly at the scene below. "The fleet… All the ships… They crashed in the city!"

Jaune and Ren ran to her side and gasped at the destruction, but Pyrrha could only sit on the floor, watching numbly as the stone slowly evaporated off her hands. The burnt acridic smell filled the room, cloying her nose and fueling her flames. Far below, she could _feel_ Cinder and Ozpin circle each other, _feel_ the headmaster land a sharp blow on Cinder, _feel_ the other maiden's string of explicatives as she ripped herself out of the wall and rushed in for another attack.

 _If Cinder had the full maiden's powers, it would already be over._

"Pyrrha! You're melting the floor!"

Pyrrha blinked at the molten glass below her and forced herself to her feet. Her teammates watched her worriedly, Nora holding back tears as Ren slung an arm around her. "What do we do?" Ren asked, looking from Jaune to Pyrrha.

Jaune looked around the office for a moment, then narrowed his eyes in determination. "We can't stay up here and we can't use the elevator."

"We have to jump," Nora whispered. Cracking a weak smile, she asked, "Who remembers their landing strategy?"

All four looked to the window and the hellscape outside. Jaune bowed his head slightly. "I… I don't think I would survive the jump. You guys should go. I'll… I'll be safe-"

"No way!" Nora exclaimed, pulling Manghild from her back and pressing the button to shift it from hammer to gun mode. "You're our lea- Um, guys? Manghild… isn't shifting."

Sure enough, her weapon was locked into its hammer mode. Ren pulled Stormflower out and pulled the trigger, then his eyes widened when nothing happened. "It's jammed!"

"Electromagnetic pulse." Pyrrha walked to look out the window, shaking her head at the burning city below. "Cinder is working with a man called Harkan, he's the one who killed Emmy and Merc. This was his semblance, but… How? How can it be so powerful? It shouldn't even be possible for him to take down an entire fleet and Beacon! He would have to have even more power than a maiden, and… I don't understand..."

"My landing strategy only works with my grenade launcher," Nora said, pressing a hand to the glass. "I'm stuck up here too if it isn't working."

Ren nodded in acknowledgment. "Pyrrha, you have to go ahead without us. We'll be fine, but if you stay here then you'll-"

"No. I won't leave you here."

Jaune gasped, and everyone looked at him. Meeting eyes with Pyrrha, he started singing off-key. " _And so you'll know my heart is true..."_

Pyrrha gaped in recognition, then finished the line. "… _my aura comes from loving you!"_

Jaune grinned, and they said in unison, "Destiny Blue!"

"Um, what?" Nora raised an eyebrow at them, while Ren just looked pensive. "Guys, you know I _love_ a good singalong, but right now _really isn't the time!_ "

Pyrrha shook her head. "Ren, Nora, are either of you wearing metal?"

"No, why?"

Now that she knew where to look for her aura, it took her far less time and effort to reach for it. Her semblance, still supercharged by her newfound powers, reached out into the tower and latched on to the grand gears holding the clock together. Pulling, she ripped one out and set it down in the middle of the office. Narrowing her eyes at the window, she said, "Everybody get back right now."

Nora looked at her like she was insane, but the rest of JNPR ran to the far side of the office. First, Pyrrha shoved the desk and chair out of the way with her semblance, then backed into the open space she had created. Taking a single calming breath, she reached into the fire beneath her skin and _pushed_.

The power of Fall flooded out of her hands and rammed through the concrete and glass like a raging bull. The release felt natural, instinctual; for the first time, Pyrrha began to understand the true extent of the powers Ozpin had just conferred onto her. For a moment, she feared that she would lose control. Honing her rage and sadness at Amber and Penny and countless other's deaths, she fought the flames down and turned back to her team.

Jaune stared at her in awe, while Ren and Nora huddled behind him with something akin to fear. Looking down at herself, Pyrrha realized that she hovered above the glass on a flame, her entire body alight with crimson haze. "You're… smouldering," Jaune said, eyes glittering.

"Not the time, lover boy!" Nora yelled.

 _The tower is about to collapse._ Instinctively reaching out with her semblance to momentarily catch the structure, she screamed, "Get on the gear!" Turning on her heel, she flew across the office. Grabbing onto the gear and pulling it after her, she flung herself and her team out of the molten opening and into thin air.

For one brief, terrifying moment, they were in freefall. Then Pyrrha's powers caught her, her semblance kicked in, and they drifted down towards the docks. After years of catapulting herself through the air with her semblance, the added precision and power from Fall was a blessing. With ease, she guided the gear to the ground on the open stretch between the gates and the docks and gracefully landed on her feet. Behind them, Beacon's clocktower collapsed onto the school, sending a cloud of dust and debris high into the air behind them.

Nora was the first to regain her sense. Standing up, she hefted her hammer onto her back and put her hands on her hips. "Alright, that was _awesome_ , but what the hell did it have to do with Destiny Blue?!"

Jaune groaned as he staggered to his feet, looking more than a little green around the edges. "Ugh, I think I'm gonna be sick."

Nora pushed him in the direction of the nearest bush. "Last time you got sick, it was on Yang's shoes! Go over there, Vomit Boy!"

Pyrrha quirked her lips as Jaune keeled over and retched into the petunias. "When we kissed the first time, we were listening to Destiny Blue and I may have thought it was funny to use my semblance to fly him off the edge of the roof?"

Nora was still too subdued to laugh, gaze caught between the broken school and burning city, but she asked, "And how did you clean up the mess?"

"I didn't vomit that time, _for your information."_ Jaune crossed his arms proudly, taking a defiant stance next to Ren. "Flying alone is fine, it's just _on_ things-"

"Guys, we have to move," Ren interjected urgently.

Everybody nodded in agreement, and they started sprinting towards the docks (well, Pyrrha was still hovering, but that was beyond the point, she supposed). The maiden's powers were already starting to settle: now that her aura had been rediscovered, it was helping to calm the volatility of the magic infusing her.

Somewhere behind them, Cinder screamed in triumph only to be drawn back into the conflict. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Guys, Cinder is winning."

"What? But Ozpin-"

She cut her boyfriend off. "Ozpin will be fine, but that doesn't change the fact that she's about to come after us! How are we going to get to the city?"

"All the airships will be broken," Ren said, "but I think Beacon owns a few actual boats. There's a boathouse down the cliff by the river, we just have to get-"

"Oh, I don't think you'll be getting anywhere."

Team JNPR stopped short as two all-too-familiar people emerged from behind a tree. Nora blanched and took a step backward, ripping Magnhild from her back and clutching it in shock. Jaune and Ren both immediately fell into a close defensive position around Pyrrha, who gaped at them.

Suddenly, Cinder's recent memories made a lot more sense.

"Miss us?" Merc asked, lazily rolling his neck. Emmy spun her kamis in her hands, her vicious smirk never reaching her eyes. The duo took a threatening step forward, and JNPR backed up in turn.

"But- You're dead! Dane said-"

"No." Flames erupted around Pyrrha's eyes, and Jaune and Ren stepped away from her out of self-preservation. "They never died. Their names aren't even Emmy and Merc. All three of them work for Cinder. Isn't that right, _Emerald_ and _Mercury_?" she snarled.

The two 'hunters' exchanged a glance, then their appearances rippled and subtly changed. Their color schemes stayed the same, but their faces shifted enough to be unrecognizable as their disguises. "How did you know that?" Emerald asked, holding her weapons out defensively.

"I am the Fall Maiden." Pyrrha funneled years of former balls and public appearances into forcing her calm to override her panic and fear and sorrow and everything else in her head. "I know everything Cinder Fall has ever seen or done. When I took on the powers, I saw- I saw _all_ of it."

The weight of her statement crashed down not only on the villains but on her own team, who turned to stare at her. Emerald was the first to recover. "You aren't the real Fall Maiden, Cinder is! You're just a spoiled rich brat who spent too much time fighting to care-"

"Emerald, shut the fuck up," Mercury growled, stepping on her foot. Looking back at Pyrrha, he said, "If you know everything, then you already know that you've lost. Wanna tell your teammates about everything your _dear_ friends Emmy and Merc have done?"

Pyrrha burned brighter and rose higher into the air. "You killed Amber. You killed Tukson. You broke into the CCT. You killed Ironwood and had Dane take his place. Those disguises were his semblance, weren't they?"

"What are you _talking_ about?" Jaune yelled. "Ironwood killed Sienna Khan and Lilianne Heath, we watched him! Dane's our friend more than you assholes ever were, he would never..."

"Oh, Jaune, you have no idea how _wrong_ you are," Mercury cooed. "Dane's the one that made all of this possible, and he performed his job today _admirably_. If it's any consolation, he did actually like you more than us. Wanna show them your lovely bruises, _Gem_?"

Emerald's hand flew to the choker around her neck as she whipped towards her partner. "I swear to god I will murder you the second I kill the imposter," she hissed.

"Did you..." Nora couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence and aimlessly gestured at the burning city to Emerald and Mercury's backs.

Mercury shrugged. "After Ironwood was dead, do you have any idea how _easy_ it was to take control of his 'invincible' army? One little virus, and the entire protest goes down in flames and the leaders with it. Then Harkan comes and plays savior, and suddenly Adam Taurus has an entire army at his beck and call while Vale is too busy running around cleaning up the mess their own defenders made!"

"You're weaponizing the faunus?!" Ren said incredulously. "How can you just throw people's lives around like that?"

Emerald sneered at him. "You have no idea what the power your teammate just got is. Cinder is going to change the world and a bunch of stupid kids aren't going to stop her."

"How?" Jaune stepped forwards, gripping Crocea Mors tightly. "How can you talk about all that death and destruction like that? People are _dying_ down there because of you!"

Mercury's face darkened. "You won't be getting to the city until Cinder is the full Fall Maiden. Give us Pyrrha and we'll let you go. Otherwise, we'll just kill you idiots too."

"No. Way." Nora stepped next to Jaune, defiantly glaring at Mercury. "Pyrrha is _our_ teammate and you're crazy if you think we're gonna give her to you." Ren didn't say anything, but he walked up alongside Jaune and took an offensive position as well.

Mercury just shrugged. "Your funeral." Turning slightly, he nodded to Emerald.

One second, Pyrrha was floating above her team. The next, she was curled up on the ground in a ball, screaming as intense pain ripped through every bit of her body. It was as if the fire coursing through her had realized it wasn't burning its target up and sought to fix the error.

All five hunters sprinted away from the maiden to escape the burst of flame that enveloped her surrounding. "What did you do to her?" Jaune screamed.

Emerald shrugged. "Just a little pain to keep her out of the fight until Cinder gets here. Don't worry, it's only an illusion, so it won't actually hurt her. Probably."

Jaune took one look at her smug grin and attacked Emerald. Ren and Nora looked at each other and joined into the fray.

Pyrrha's screams gave the backdrop for their fight.

* * *

Cinder and Ozpin were deep in close combat when an intense pain coursed down the length of Cinder's body. Screaming, her maiden powers flared sending both herself and Ozpin careening to the vault floor. Fighting through the pain, Cinder screeched in rage as she realized the source of the pain was coming from Pyrrha. _I can feel her I can feel her I can AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHH!_

Desperately, she tried to scrape together any mental defense possible to stem the pain. Recalling her training with Salem, she pulled all of her aura together and clamped down on the maiden connection with everything she could muster. _If I play dead maybe he won't destroy me immediately._ Letting her body slip into a meditative state, she slowly fought the fiery bond back and forced it to a stream instead of an uncontrollable flood. As Pyrrha's pain faded slightly, she cursed the instructions she had given Emerald and tried to focus on her surroundings.

Ozpin stood over her, emerald magic convalescing in his hands as he prepared to strike. He obviously presumed her unconscious, so she took her opportunity without a second thought. Like a viper, she formed a sword and rammed it into his gut. The immortal had no time to react – falling to his knees, the magic disappeared from his hands. Every movement torturous, she forced herself into a sitting position and dragged herself towards him. "Hubris," she hissed before ripping the sword from his chest and turning his body to ash.

 _When I get out of this vault, I am going to rip Emerald and her stupid semblance apart with my bare hands._ Forcing the pain back further, she kicked his staff away and let her flames carry her into the air. Shooting towards the elevator shaft then rising through the school, she left the molten vault behind and angled for open air.

Emerald and Mercury were not inside the gates. For a brief moment, she feared they had been defeated and the students had run, but when she focused on the other half of the maiden powers she found them battling on the promenade to the docks. Once she got close enough, she screamed, "Emerald, stop!"

Emerald, Mercury, and the three students broke apart as they heard her voice, and the one with orange hair cried out in alarm. Emerald dropped her illusion, and she fell to one knee in relief as Pyrrha stopped screaming. As the students ran to surround the other maiden's curled up form, her henchmen sprinted to her side. "Cinder, what happened?" Emerald asked breathlessly.

Before she could answer, she violently coughed. When she took her hands away from her mouth, she found they had blood on them. _Shit._ Biting her lip, she snapped, "Whatever the fuck Ozpin did, it- it connected me to the Nikos girl. I saw her, her entire life, and- Gods, he fucking aura bonded me to her!" Emerald tried to reach out to touch her, but she slapped her hand away. Her henchman looked practically ready to cry at that, but Cinder shook her head and gave her a twisted smile. "I felt the pain illusion you've been working on. It was… one of the most excruciating things I have ever felt. If you _ever_ use that on me _or_ the Nikos girl again, I will personally hand-feed you to the nearest Grimm. Alive."

Emerald looked utterly baffled at the compliment/threat, and simply nodded. She and Mercury helped her to her feet, and she looked impassively on as the students attempted to coax Nikos out of her ball. _What, Nikos, are you really so weak that I have to kill you on the ground?_

 _How… did you, block it?_ Pyrrha made out, uncurling and rising to one knee to face her.

 _Aura. I blocked you off._ Cinder stretched out a hand and let a small flame burn freely. _Truly, it's not your fault for being too weak to withstand the pain. Emerald's powers are… rather unique. I don't think even she understands it._

 _You use her._

 _She loves it. Look at her, groveling at my side at my beck and call._ Pyrrha looked ready to snap back at her, and she impassively waved a hand. _Oh, I wouldn't point it out to her. I may have forbidden her to use her illusions on you, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't love to use it on, oh, your little boyfriend there._

 _Evil bitch._

Cinder snorted in amusement, earning her strange glances from Emerald and Mercury. _So you aren't Mistral's little golden girl behind that mask, are you?_ _I've seen all eighteen years of your pampered spoiled life. You're still just that fame-obsessed slut, aren't you? I know you lied to Jaune about your background._

 _Yeah, that was me, but not anymore_. Pyrrha struggled to her feet, her maiden powers blazing to life. _You'll have to do better than that if you want to get to me, Audrey._ Nobody _gets to mess with my mind and walk away._ I _know who I am._ _Ruby was still a kid and it tore her apart. I haven't been a kid since I was twelve._

 _Don't. Call. Me. Audrey._

Pyrrha met her eyes, and their maiden powers burst to life at the same time. _Whatever, Calla. I am the rightful Fall Maiden. It's my_ destiny _. I don't even have to look to see that your mind's a mess. Ozpin will resurrect, and then he'll know_ everything _you know about Salem – her plans, her goals, her henchmen._

 _How are you so calm?!_ Cinder all but shrieked, clenching her fists in contained fury.

Pyrrha drew herself to her full strength, her aura flooding her mind as she fought off the last of the haze from the transfer. _I have trained for the destiny I knew I would face someday since I was six years old. I've been meditating since I was eight and I haven't lost a battle since I was thirteen. You let your emotions control you, and they're tearing you apart. Your family is dead, you've never let yourself have friends, and the Grimm are slowly consuming your body. I mean, you have a fucking bug in your arm, that's disgusting._

 _I will kill everyone you know and love._

Pyrrha shook her head, and a memory danced across their bond. _Some things are worth dying for. Some things are worth killing for. But hurting other people always hurts. Always. We'll fight. We'll fight you and we'll win, no matter what. I wish Jaune and Ren and Nora didn't have to, but they chose to fight with me. I love them, but I will not fall. I am Fall._

 _You've been thinking about that wordplay since Ozpin brainwashed you, haven't you?_

 _Like you have any ground to stand on, Cinder Fall._

 _Do you always make self-important monologues in your head?_

 _I know you do._ Pyrrha rolled her eyes, and Emerald and Mercury simply sagged next to their leader at a complete loss for words.

Cinder was at a complete loss with how to deal with Nikos. _How… how can you be so fucking_ pure? _How can still be so nice and-_

 _I'm sorry._

 _What? What the fuck? That literally just proves my point, you-_

Pyrrha nodded. _You're right, Audrey._ _I don't know what that feels like. I don't know how it feels to lose my parents or watch my friends die or to live on the streets. All I know is that you killed Amber and I killed Penny, and if I had failed to meet my destiny I probably would have snapped and tried to kill you the second I saw you. But this is what I_ _have lived for, to stop you from taking the maiden powers and helping Salem destroy the world. I don't burn my past to the ground. I am_ better _than the rich privileged slut from Mistral because I kept fighting for my power instead of selling my soul._

 _My name is_ CINDER FALL! Cinder rose into the air, growing more and more infuriated as Pyrrha stared up evenly at her. _What do you know of power? What do you know about destiny? You can't even control your own powers enough to not rip that metal thing apart!_

 _Don't talk about Penny like that._ Pyrrha followed her into the sky, shooting her team a final glance. _Do you know what they say about me, Audrey Calla?_

 _Don't you wanna know, Mistral's Golden Girl? You've probably never seen where_ I _lived in Mistral in your entire life!_

Pyrrha smiled thinly, spiraling further into the air and guiding the duo away from her team. Gathering all of her mental fortitude and locking it into place for the battle, she said, _They say when I fight with a level head, I'm the best fighter in the last two centuries. When I'm angry, though, they say that I'm unstoppable._

 _I'm going to kill you, then Ruby Rose, then your precious team. Everything you've ever known and loved is going to wither and die_.

Pyrrha's body flickered unstably. _I don't know how to control these powers, Audrey. I just watched fifty years of other people's memories, and if it wasn't for this adrenaline rush I would be non-functional right now. You can thank_ Emmy _for that, by the way. The pain pushed it all to the back of my mind long enough for me to get control back. If she had been smart enough to kill me instead of_ _fighting_ _Jaune and Ren and Nora, you would already have won._

 _They-_

 _Glynda and Amber were going to get married next month, did you know that?_ Pyrrha asked conversationally, her voice quavering. _Glynda gave me a message for her. To say goodbye. Y'know, cause your little bug kinda chewed half of her face of. And now I know exactly how she reacted to it, because I remember how she loved Glynda. When I go to Glynda after I kill you, she won't be able to give the message herself. It'll be me, only I won't be me because I loved her as Amber for longer than I've been alive as Pyrrha. Guess who killed her? Guess who killed thousands and thousands of people today for fucking power and revenge because your parents were just a little shittier than mine? You._

Unable to help herself, Cinder's lip curled into an upwards smirk. _Glynda's never going to hear your pitiful little goodbye because you won't be leaving this battle alive._

 _They say I fight better when I'm angry,_ Pyrrha whispered, shaking uncontrollably as she glowed even brighter. Now they drifted towards Beacon, JNPR, Emerald and Mercury shrinking to specks behind them. _I'm not angry. Anger doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling. I knew this was my destiny. I led us here to die. And now… Now… For Amber… I… You tore it away. You tore my world away. Because of you, I don't know who I am anymore. I'm not angry at you anymore. I HATE YOU!_

All of Fall's power drew in for a moment, then Pyrrha went supernova.

Cinder's body went ragdoll, flung away under the sheer uncontrolled power of the outburst. The other maiden flew through a solid stone column before catching herself. Holding herself strong against the tempest, she looked to the center where Pyrrha rose higher and higher, so far enveloped by the flames that she looked barely human. _You won't leave this battle alive._

 _No._ Fall looked down at her and cast her arms wide. _I don't lose._ She took a final breath, then attacked with everything she had.

* * *

Ruby barely dodged under the full force of Harkan's strike with her semblance powered somersault. His broadsword sunk a foot into the ground, and he laughed as he ripped it out of the beaten Earth. Neo lashed out at his arm, but her sword merely raked armor under his cloak before bouncing off. "This fight is pointless, of course. I cannot kill Neopolitan, neither of you can kill me, and nobody will be leaving this circle. You only prolong the pain of your defeat and consumption."

 _That's disgusting. Let's see how you like swinging that sword around with one arm!_

 _Neo!_

 _What, Rose? If you hadn't noticed, this_ really isn't the time! Neo and Ruby both dodged another broad sweep from Harkan. Landing on one knee, Neo pressed her hands together and focused. In an instant, an entire illusory landscape of snow and trees exploded to life around them, as detailed as she dared to maintain.

 _Just… be careful. I love you._ Ruby used her semblance to dart out of Harkan's range and shot her a worried look that spoke volumes. _If we lose…_

 _We won't lose._ Drawing on Ruby's aura, Neo sealed the illusion in her subconscious to the best of her ability and turned back to Harkan. _We've practiced for today for months. Together?_

 _Together._

Ruby and Neo drew back and struck in unison. Rising Thorn and Neo's sword struck opposite arms at the same time. Harkan staggered back then turned the motion into a graceful spin, striking back around with a broad sweep. Ruby leaped over the blade and kicked down on his arm as Neo took another strike at his other arm, this time drawing blood.

The three broke apart, Harkan eyeing them speculatively as he hefted his sword. "Speed won't win you this fight," he growled. He lashed down at Ruby with lightning speed, forcing her to bring her naginata up in a desperate two-handed block. The Lich pressed his greater size, pushing her back and down, locking their weapons into place. Before she fell to her knees, Neo came in with a flying kick aimed at his sword, knocking the two apart. Kicking off the wide blade, she flipped and drew her sword across his pale face, drawing an unearthly shriek as he stumbled back. Black blood trickled down to the ground, hissing as it broke through Neo's snow illusion.

Harkan bellowed in rage. Grasping his sword with both hands, he slammed the flat of the blade into Neo's side. She flew into the stone wall behind Ruby and slumped to the ground, unmoving. "No!" Ruby screamed, rushing to her side and pressing her hand to her neck. When she found a pulse, she allowed herself a sigh of relief before unsteadily rising to her feet. The illusion had vanished, leaving only burning trees around them.

He had hurt Neo.

 _Nobody_ got to hurt Neo.

Ruby saw pure red. Unleashed aura flooded her body, honed by months of pain and endurance training at midnight. She dug her foot into the ground, then shot towards Harkan at top speeds. The Lich was fast but not fast enough; she dissolved into three clouds of petals to avoid his swing then landed a superpowered swipe on his shoulder. Rising Thorn's reinforced blade met his armor and bit through it, nicking the flesh underneath. Before he could even react, she vaulted around his body and raked the other way down his face, making a bleeding black X across his too-perfect face.

That was when Harkan's boot slammed into her side, sending her careening into the wall next to Neo.

Darkness filled her sight, and woozy haze slowly overtook her crimson clarity. She dizzily tried to pull herself to her feet as he stalked towards her, but only ended up falling to her hands and knees. Harkan kicked her into the wall again, and this time she slumped to the ground. "I was going to kill you quickly and mercifully," he whispered, "but that was before you scarred my face. Enjoy your slow and painful death."

Bringing his hands together over his head, he positioned the tip of his sword over her leg. Closing her eyes, Ruby braced herself for a pain that never came.

Metal on metal. Qrow rose from his crouch, sending Harkan stumbling backward. Cloak billowing out behind him, he spat, "Don't. Touch. My. Nieces!"

Ruby raised her head slightly, her hair falling into her face. _Nieces? Me… and Neo?_

The sounds above began to fade. As if underwater, Harkan boomed, "Ah, so the crow finally decides to show his face." The two men launched into combat, leaving the two girls lying against Vale's wall.

 _Ruby…_

 _Neo?_ Ruby looked at her hopefully and met her pure pink eyes. The other girl reached out a hand, her fingers unfurling in the dirt like flower petals.

 _Take my hand. I have an idea._

Nodding, she reached out and let their fingers intertwine. _What are we doing?_

 _We think together. We speak together. Maybe we can fight together too._

Neo went slack for a moment, then _pushed_. Black and white aura pulsed through her body, clearing her stunned haze away. Her aura reacted, welcoming the familiar energy and intertwining with it. Ruby gasped as she felt her connection to Neo's body start to fade, her aura transferring from one to the other. _Stop, you're going to kill yourself!_

 _No, I won't. Think about it – when you're asleep but I'm still awake, you can still see what I'm doing in the real world. This is like that. If we're in the same body, we'll actually have a chance to beat him!_

 _We can do that? We can be in the same body?_

 _I think that's what an aura bond even is._

The rest of Neo's aura poured into Ruby's body, infusing her with a strength she had never felt before. Eyes snapping open, they rose to their feet: not quite Ruby, not quite Neo, but something in between.

 _Rose._

Rose stooped down to pick up Rising Thorn, taking a moment to contemplate its even weight in her hands. _For Crescent._ She turned to the battle, where Qrow and Harkan were deep in intense close combat. Drawing back, she took careful aim with the blunt side of her weapon at the back of his head and shot forwards like a gun.

Harkan's head snapped forwards when her pole collided with it, and he slumped to the ground unconscious.

Qrow looked from the unconscious faunus to Rose and back again. "Well, that was anti-climactic," he drawled, clipping his scythe back to his belt and gingerly pulling the broadsword out of his reach.

Rose swayed with the crackling fires around them, staring blankly at her uncle. "You saved us."

"Of course I did, kiddo. That's my job, remember?" Qrow cracked a weak smile, and Rose weakly smiled back. Then, she ran to his arms and hugged him for everything she was worth.

"We missed you, Uncle Qrow," she whispered as he lifted her up, tightly hugging her back.

They stood amid the destruction for a long moment, neither knowing what to say yet. Finally, Qrow whispered, "I'm sorry. All this time, I was keeping my promise to Summer to take care of you, Rubes. After she… after she died, her last wish was for me to reconcile with Rae, and Rae made me promise that I would take care of her kids to. I guess… I just got so caught up on how Bella made us fall apart that I forgot that for a while. I'm sorry, Rubes, Bella."

Wrapped in her uncle's embrace, Rose quietly started to cry. "We failed. The protest, the city, Harkan, all of it..."

Qrow shook his head. "You didn't fail, Rubes. You did the best you could and you saved people's lives. It's our fault, our fault for not acting before it was already to late."

"How could Ironwood kill them like that? How could he just… shoot them?" Rose's hands gripped at his shirt, searching for a handhold, and Qrow pulled her closer.

"I don't know, kiddo. I… I don't know."

A low growl came from behind them, and Rose and Qrow broke apart. All around them, Grimm were slowly making their way through the fire, closing in on Harkan's fallen form. Qrow gaped at them for a moment, then bent down and picked up Harkan's body. Running to the wall, he deposited the body next to Neo's then took a defensive position. Rose backed up next to him and drew Rising Thorn with a sniffle. "Harkan… He can control the Grimm, he must be attracting them!"

Qrow cursed. "Every Grimm in the forest is probably on their way to attack us here. Can we call for help?"

Rose shook her head. "We're _outside_ of the Vale wall. Even if someone was able to hear us, they'd never make it here in time. Besides, the comms are down, remember?"

Qrow cursed again. Ripping his flask from his shirt, he took a long drink then threw it aside. "The two of us could get away, but not with two bodies. We're trapped, we have to fight."

"We have no dust! If they get too close, we're all dead!" Rose shot him a wild look. "Your scythe is stuck in sword mode, Rising Thorn is stuck in naginata mode, and we're stuck in only Ruby's body!"

He sunk into a combat pose, growling as the Grimm closed into a tight semi-circle around them. "We have no choice!"

A wave of clarity washed over Rose. "No. We do."

Qrow turned white, shaking his head vigorously. "No, Rubes, you can't."

"Silver eyes might be the only way out of this," she said, taking a step forward.

"No! I can't lose you like I lost Summer, please, we can-"

Rose cut her uncle off with a wave of her hand. The Grimm closed in tighter around the four of them, preparing to strike. Reaching deep inside herself, she found her silver core which had only grown into time. Tapping into it with the combined power of two auras, she released its power and aimed it at the Grimm before her. Power rushed through her body and out her eyes, burning with impossible power as the waves of Grimm surrounding them evaporated into the night sky. A scream ripped from her lips; she ran out of aura, ran out of power to give, but she couldn't give up, she had to protect her other body and Qrow!

Intense pain burned in her right eye, more than she had ever felt before. Without any more aura left to fuel it, her eyes turned to her body itself to stem the onslaught of Grimm. She screamed as her eye slowly burned away, pouring out more power than she had ever felt before. Before she could be consumed entirely, though, something got in the way of her power. _Ruby, if you give any more, we'll die! The Grimm are gone, come back, please!_

 _Neo…_

Rose's aura bond pulled her back from the brink. For the briefest moment, she saw Qrow standing over her, then all she could see was white.

 _I'm sorry…_

* * *

They were binary stars, spiraling closer and closer before collapsing in on themselves, supermassive and endlessly dark. Fire burned the sky and the stars away, fueling itself in a self-destructive bid for dominance. The violence marred the sky.

Pyrrha didn't know how to use her newfound powers, but she knew how to _fight_. Lashing out, often in pure instinct, she danced around Cinder in a flurry of blows and power. Using her semblance, she manipulated pure molten metal around them like a whip, all fears of burning herself lost to Fall. Cinder had a few odd months of training on her, but when Pyrrha held her same power level, she couldn't hold a candle to her sheer talent and combat prowess.

On the ground was a different story.

The rest of Team JNPR glared at Mercury and Emerald, everybody except Jaune bruised and bleeding. Jaune still hadn't exhausted his vast aura reserves, and he stood in front of Ren and Nora with his shield at the ready. As the duel of the maidens far above them sent out another massive shockwave of power, they turned to look, all in awe of the power the maidens held. "Pyrrha..." he said in worry.

"Cinder's going to kill her," Emerald said, her face betraying uncertainty. Mercury just narrowed his eyes and grunted, bringing his fists back to a combat pose. Not waiting another moment, he reared back and attacked.

Jaune took the kick full on with his shield, striking upwards with his sword as Mercury flipped over him. The assassin dodged only to be forced to dodge under a strike from Nora, who went after him full force with her hammer. Meanwhile, Emerald tried to catch Jaune off-guard with her kamis but found herself double-teamed by him and Ren. Red eyes narrowing in fury, she trapped Jaune inside of an illusion but was pressed in on by Ren before it could truly take effect.

"Take that!" Nora yelled victoriously as she managed to broadside Mercury with her hammer, launching him towards Emerald and sending the duo tumbling to a heap together. Pressing their advantage, JNPR surrounded the villains, forcing them to go back to back in an attempt to defend each other. Ren and Jaune forced them to stay together, and Nora hit them both with another massive hammer swing.

Emerald and Mercury went tumbling across the ground, coming to a halt a few yards away from the hunters. Jaune pointed Crocea Mors at them, holding himself up to his full height. "You've lost! Surrender now, _please_. Too many people have died today."

Mercury gritted his teeth and pulled himself to his feet. Narrowing his eyes, he ran towards the trio. Ren stepped forwards to engage him. The two engaged in furious close combat for a moment, Mercury attacking to the full extent of his acrobatic abilities. For a moment, it looked like Ren might lose the battle.

Then Stormflower sunk into Mercury's chest.

The battlefield went silent as Mercury sank to his knees at Ren's feet, staring down at the dual blades. Arms shaking, he tried to reach up to pull them out, but Ren removed his weapons first. As the assassin slumped to the ground unmoving, the hunter-in-training stumbled backward, his face betraying his utter shock at his actions. "I- I-" Nora and Jaune both looked on in horror, eyes flitting from Mercury's body to their teammate.

Emerald recovered enough to pull herself off the ground and stagger to her knees. Regaining her sense of her surroundings, she saw her dead partner's body and Ren standing over him, blood dripping off his weapon's long blade. For a moment she simply stared, fists clenching around her weapons, then drew her arms to her chest and screamed.

In an instant, Jaune, Ren, and Nora's visions all went dark and shadowy. From the ground, a massive woman, a pure white face with sickly dark lines shrouded by a black dress, rose to her full height. Bellowing with the fury of the Grimm, she launched herself at them. Jaune and Nora screamed and cowered, hiding as she harmlessly passed through them and into the sky. For a second, neither dared to open their eyes for fear that she had been real, would still be there to kill her when they did.

The reality they found was far worse.

Ren was sprawled across the ground, glassy eyes staring at the fiery sky above. A dark red line at his throat gushed blood, pooling out across the cobblestones below. Emerald stood over him, her kamis hanging loosely at her side, sobbing uncontrollably. Jaune and Nora stared dumbly for a moment, then Nora took a deep breath and screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sprinting forwards, she spun and launched her hammer at Emerald with as much force as she could muster. Emerald went limp as the hammer collided with her aura and launched her deep into the bushes off of the main promenade. Discarding Magnhild, she fell to Ren's side and screamed, "REN!"

"Ren! No, no, no, this can't be happening!" Jaune ran to his teammate's side as well, tears already streaming down his face.

Nora looked at him with wide panicked eyes. "Heal him! Do the- You did it for Ozpin, you can- I- You have to!" she sobbed, taking her fallen partner's hand and clutching it as tightly as possible.

Jaune nodded, and laid his hands over Ren's body. Reaching within, he found the deep aura reserves he held, now mostly depleted, and pushed everything he had left into his body. Nothing happened. Concentrating even harder, he tried again but to no avail. "Nora."

"What are you doing?! You have to heal him!" she exclaimed desperately, her aqua eyes tearing up. "Heal him!"

Closing his eyes, Jaune shook his head. "Nora. I can't heal him. He's dead."

Nora stared at him, then turned back to Ren and let out a long wordless wail. Keening over, she threw herself over his body and erupted into big, ugly sobs that racked her entire body. "No. NO! REN!"

Jaune looked from his best friend's lifeless face to Mercury's body a few feet away and started crying as well. At a complete loss for words, he tried to rest a hand on Nora's back but she angrily slapped it away. Reaching out, he shakily slid Ren's eyes shut, unable to make eye contact with somebody who could no longer see.

Nora rocked back and forth, unable to let go of his hand. "You can't be dead. You can't be. You promised. You promised me that we'd always be together! You promised! YOU PROMISED!" she wailed into his chest, clutching his shirt in her hands.

"Nora!" Unable to watch, Jaune pried her off of Ren's body, wincing as she screamed in protest. "Nora, he's gone, please! Please..." Finally tearing her off him, he forced her to face him. "Please…" he breathed, his voice cracking in anguish.

"He promised me," Nora whispered, then flung herself at Jaune. He broke down at the contact, losing it as he buried his face in Nora's hair. They sobbed into each other's arms, unable to accept that their best friend beside them was no longer with them.

In the air, Cinder was quickly losing ground to Pyrrha. The maiden landed a series of hand to hand blows on her then broadsided her with her metal whip, sending her spiraling through the air. Barely regaining her control, she made the biggest sword she possibly could and launched herself at Pyrrha in a last-ditch effort to win. Effortlessly dodging the strike and batting it aside, Pyrrha landed a kick straight at Cinder's chest and sent her tumbling to the ground.

Cinder rolled to a standstill on the uneven cobblestones, her aura flashing as it held her fall. She tried to push herself up, but only managed to get her upper body upright. Pyrrha descended from the sky in a blaze of flame, metal swirling around behind her. "You lost, Cinder," she said, her feet touching down on the ground. Most of the power swirling around her faded, leaving only the hazy aura around her actual body.

Coughing, Cinder looked around at her surroundings, eyes widening as she saw Mercury lying abandoned on the ground. _No! Mercury- fuck, he's dead._ Her mouth fell open, though, when she saw the body nearby him. Forcing a smirk, she said, "Tell that to your team," and pointed to where Jaune and Nora were huddled together.

Pyrrha turned to look and gasped, "Ren!"

Taking advantage of her distraction, Cinder drew the last of her aura and powers together to create a bow. She took aim and unleashed an arrow at the other maiden's foot. Pyrrha cried out in pain and surprise, and she fell to her knees as the arrow protruded from her ankle.

Cinder forced herself to her feet, staggering under the weight of physical injury she had been dealt. Pyrrha's eyes narrowed in determination, and she drew back her hands to summon more fire. Taking careful aim, Cinder put a second arrow through one of her hands, causing her to howl in pain again. Now the other maiden slumped to the ground, unable to defend herself any longer.

Drawing her bow back one final time, she aimed at Pyrrha's heart. "My name is _Cinder Fall_ , and I am the true Fall Maiden. It's a shame that you were promised a power that was never truly yours."

Pyrrha met her gaze, determination written across her face. "I don't know, Audrey. Do you believe in destiny?"

Her gaze hardening, Cinder fired straight into Crocea Mors. "What?!"

Letting his shield fall, Jaune slowly rose to his feet. The golden-haired boy rolled his shoulders back, brushing the remnants of the arrow off his shield. "Jaune?" Pyrrha said quietly. "Wait, no, you can't fight her, you'll lose!"

Settling into a ready position with Crocea Mors, Jaune shook his head. "No. You're more important than anything else, remember? If we lose you, everything is lost. You can't fight, Nora can't fight, and Ren is _dead_."

Pyrrha shook her head vigorously as Cinder smirked and formed her trademark dual swords. "You'll die!"

Jaune looked back at her in determination. "You taught me, Pyrrha, and I love you more than anything, but if dying here means that you survive then that's my choice."

"But-" Jaune knelt down and gave her a long, lingering kiss, then pulled away. Biting her lip, Pyrrha tried to pull herself to her feet but her hand and ankle nearly sent her into unconsciousness. Desperately, she said, "I love you, please don't do this!"

He shook his head and turned back towards Cinder, who was glowering at them. "Are you ready to die yet, or do I need to give you another hour?" she snapped, gesturing with her swords.

Jaune raised his sword into the air, yelled, "FOR REN!" and charged the maiden.

The battle was lopsided from the start. Jaune's initial swing was dismissively blocked by Cinder, and he had to rip his shield up to catch her first strike. Immediately he was forced onto the defensive, parrying and blocking and taking blows on his aura. Pyrrha began to cry, already understanding that no matter how hard Jaune fought he was no match for Cinder. "Run! This isn't going to save me! It's too late!" she screamed, trying to get him to stop, stand down, anything.

"No!" Jaune yelled back as he caught Cinder's swords and forced her to a standstill. The two broke apart for a moment, breathing heavily. "You've always been the hero, you and Ruby both! Maybe this time you're the one who needs to be protected! Maybe this time you need a hero! You can't fulfill your destiny if you're dead!"

"Shut up!" Cinder yelled, attacking him again at full force. "Who gives a fuck! You're both going to die, it doesn't matter!"

Jaune surprised her with a sudden kick, sending her staggering backward. Pushing his advantage, he lashed out and gouged out a long gash down her left arm. "Pyrrha Nikos is the Fall Maiden, not you!"

Cinder staggered back, sagging for a moment. "That's where you're wrong," she snarled. Tensing, she launched herself forwards into a final flood of blows. Jaune took three on his shield and parried two, then Cinder hooked Crocea Mors' hilt and ripped the blade out of his grasp.

"Jaune!" Nora screamed as the blade clattered towards Pyrrha, leaving her teammate with only his shield.

Pyrrha had to move, to fight, but she was frozen, helpless, trapped, unable to do anything but sit and watch as Cinder Fall batted Jaune's shield aside and shove her blade through his chest.

Jaune gasped and fell to his knees as Cinder let the blade shatter and disappear, clutching at the gaping wound in his chest. He fought for breath, the world growing dim around him. Cinder shook her head as she cupped his head in her hands, forcing him to meet her eyes. "How… futile. Now you can die knowing your girlfriend had the pleasure of watching."

Jaune feebly shook his head. "No. Not… useless. I was… her… hero…"

Cinder narrowed her eyes. Pushing with her powers, she took Jaune's body and turned it to ash.

Pyrrha screamed as her boyfriend was incinerated, glowing ash blowing away on the breeze. "JAUNE!" Throwing her head back in pure rage and grief, the powers of Fall overtook her pain and exploded around her body. The arrows in her hand and foot dissipated instantly as she rose in an inferno and took Jaune's sword from the ground. Beyond words, she flew at Cinder and wildly slashed at her body. Still exhausted, the other maiden barely missed her first attack and screamed as her second sliced clean through her injured arm. Lashing out, Pyrrha's flaming foot connected with her chest and sent her sprawling away.

She zeroed in on Cinder's unconscious form, but suddenly she could only see darkness before her. She stopped short, searching for the murderer in the darkness, but found nothing. Moments later, reality returned to her vision, and she could only as Emerald fled into the Emerald Forest with Cinder's limp body in her arms.

Slowly, the power of fall left her body, gently setting her back down to earth. She crawled on one hand and two knees to where Jaune's shield had fallen. Pressing the button, she turned it back to its scabbard mode and slid the sword inside. She stared numbly at Crocea Mors for a long moment, tracing the dark blemish where the arrow had hit and the soot she had tracked onto it when she used the blade. Drawing the sword to her chest, her gaze stayed fixed on the cobblestones as she began rocking back and forth.

 _He can't be dead._

 _This is just a bad dream. All of this is just a bad dream. I'm going to wake up and_ _it'll be time for the Vytal Festival to start, and the four of us will eat breakfast with Team WBYR and fight and celebrate in our room afterward. It isn't real, they can't be dead, they can't be, they can't, they can't be._

Pyrrha curled up into a ball around Crocea Mors, her breath coming short and fast. All of the confidence and bluster she had felt during her battle with Cinder vanished in a heartbeat, and the reality of the situation came crashing down on her.

She had dragged her team into a life or death situation with the world at stake. She was the Fall Maiden, but Cinder was still alive, Vale was burning, and half of her team was dead.

 _Jaune isn't dead. Ren isn't dead. Jaune isn't dead. Ren isn't dead._

"P- Pyr-" Breathing heavily, Pyrrha looked up to see Nora standing over her, crying. Her teammate slowly sank down next to her, then choked out a loud sob and threw her arms around her. Pyrrha couldn't return the hug, couldn't accept the world around her, only cling to the weapon that was her only remaining connection to the boy that had _dissolved and blown away in the breeze_. "He- he- he- Gone! They're both just _gone_!" Nora wailed, digging her fingers under Pyrrha's armor.

 _They're not gone_.

She couldn't accept it, because if she did, she might never get control back of the fire barely contained inside her.

She couldn't accept it.

She couldn't accept that it was over.

She wouldn't.

 _They're not gone._

 _They can't be._

* * *

Metal loomed high over the burning city, twisted and blackened remains of the world's greatest fleed blotting out the sky. Thick putrid smoke filled the air. The fire was spreading slowly, but it burned brightest where the battleship had crashed into the city.

Weiss coughed violently as she pulled the cloth ripped from a discarded t-shirt tighter around her mouth. The man she had just pulled out of the wreckage had just gone unconscious when she had handed him off to the medics. It was lucky, she supposed, that they got there when they did, or else she would have been forced to use her limited first aid skills to help him live.

She estimated it had been fifteen minutes since the ships fell. She estimated that she had killed a hundred robots and several Grimm. She estimated she had made her way into the wreck ten times and come out with a person eight of them – five of those people had made it to the medics alive. She estimated that if Myrtenaster was still working, she could have saved all eight with ice dust. She estimated if her comms had been working she would have saved none of them because Ruby and Yang and Blake and Violet were sure to be scattered all over Vale in trouble, their lives endangered, leaderless.

She estimated because if she stopped thinking analytically, she would collapse from fear and exhaustion on the spot.

Clutching Myrtenaster, she plunged back into the twisted maze of flames and dusteel. She used her glyphs to dodge and weave through the worst of the fire. A call for help rose through the blaze, and she single-mindedly zeroed in on it. Breaking out into an open sprint, she stopped short as she saw a woman whose legs were pinned under a fallen piece of masonry dislodged when the plane had struck the shattered building above her. When she saw her, she screamed, "Help me!" waving her arms wildly.

Eyes widening, Weiss shouted, "I'm coming!" Jumping over a burning power line, she sprinted to the woman and stopped short. Holding up Myrtenaster, she held it in front of her face and ran two fingers down its length to activate the glyph, then plunged the tip into the concrete. A gravity glyph appeared five feet above the concrete and started spinning. Painstakingly slowly, the concrete rose off of the woman and into the air. Weiss had to look away from her mangled legs and focused on her face. "I have to maintain the glyph, you have to drag yourself out from under! Fast!"

The woman nodded, crying in relief, and began agonizingly pulling her broken legs forwards. Halfway out from under, she stopped and cried out in pain, but started moving again at Weiss' panicked expression. Seconds after she got free of the rubble, Weiss lost control of the glyph and it fell back to the ground with a deep thud. She ran over to kneel by the woman's side, who was sobbing in gratitude.

She tried to thank Weiss, who shook her head. "We're not out of this yet." Reaching into her pocket, she took another strip of cloth and tied it around the woman's mouth. Clipping her rapier to her best, she gave the woman her best smile. "I have to carry you out, this is probably going to really hurt. Can you be strong for me?" The woman nodded, and Weiss grunted as she lifted the bigger person with both arms and began the treacherous retracing of her steps.

It took three times as long to exit the wreckage, and they barely made it before a massive chunk of metal collapsed, taking out the entire space Weiss had been venturing through. Stumbling to a nearby sidewalk, she gently put the woman down then collapsed next to her in exhaustion. A hand grabbed hers, and the woman gave her a teary smile. "Thank you, huntress. What's your name?"

Weiss returned the smile. "Weiss Schnee, and I'm only a huntress-in-training."

The other shook her head. "You saved my life, not another huntress. I'll never forget this. I was just out shopping, my husband and kids are home in the upper districts..." She started to cry again, and Weiss squeezed her hand.

"I should keep finding people. Yell for a medic, there are lots around," she said, stumbling as she got back to her feet.

"Miss Schnee!"

Weiss whipped around, and her face crumpled in relief as she saw Glynda running towards her. "Professor Goodwitch! Please, can you help me get her to a medic!"

Glynda stared at the woman's legs for a moment, then nodded mutely. Flicking her riding crop, she carefully levitated the woman as Weiss ran up to her side. "What happened to your team?"

"I was helping find people in the wreckage," Weiss responded, drawing Myrtenaster as they deposited the woman at the nearest pop-up medic station. "We got separated after the Knights attacked. Ruby and Neo confronted Harkan at the gates, Blake and Yang ran after Ironwood and Adam Taurus, and I was with the motorcade until the fleet crashed. The comms are down, I don't even know if they're alive."

Glynda nodded mutely, then started. "Wait, you know about Neo?"

"Ruby and Neo had a meltdown last night. They were… very loud about it. My entire team knows." Weiss shrugged, too exhausted to even indulge her anger. "Honestly, I fail to see how it matters when Vale is on fire and people are getting shot in the streets."

Glynda shook her head hopelessly. "How many?"

"We destroyed six blocks of robots, maybe seven? Reinforcements came, we had to move. Maybe the Fang got other people away." Weiss shook her head. "The protest went all the way to the industrial district. With the fire… I-"

"No, I'm sorry I asked." The deputy headmistress let her gaze linger on the blaze a moment longer, then turned away. "I need to go to Beacon and see if Ozpin and Team JNPR are ok. Will you come with me?"

"Yes, but how will we get there? All the ships were destroyed!"

Glynda shook her head as they started walking south. "Everything in the city, yes, but ships are already pouring in from outside the city limits. They're using the riverside as a temporary dock, we'll flag somebody down there."

Weiss nodded, and the pair made their way through crowds of soldiers and refugees until they reached the waterfront. Sure enough, a line of bullheads were parked along the river, bringing supplies and aid in and taking people out. Before they could approach the ships, though, a limo rolled towards them down the main riverside avenue. Glynda frowned at it. "I thought all the electronics were destroyed. How is a car still active?"

"Maybe it was outside of the EMP's range?" Weiss offered, dread growing in the pit of her stomach as the limo stopped right in front of them. Her eyes flicked to the blue snowflake logo in the corner, and her eyes widened. "What's the SDC doing… here?"

Glynda scowled at the car. "They're probably here for you." She paused for a moment, then grabbed Weiss' shoulder and turned towards her. "Miss Schnee. I will wait outside of this car. I will not let the car leave until I have verbal confirmation my student is in good hands. Do you understand?"

The briefest shadow of a smile showed at the edge of Weiss' mouth, and Glynda knew she had done the right thing. "Thank you, Miss Goodwitch." Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and opened the limo door. Inside, pure white leather couches were accented with pale blue. Blue backlights gave the vehicle a frozen impression, but the chills down Weiss' back were caused only by the shadowed figure sitting across from her. "F-father?"

"Weiss." Jacques Schnee leaned towards her, and she unconsciously scooted away slightly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, regaining her trail of thought.

Her father narrowed his eyes. "Did you forget your manners while you were away?"

"No," Weiss responded frostily. "I just watched thousands of people die and spent the last hour fighting to save them. Forgive me if I'm not up to your standards right now." Some voice in the back of her mind screamed for her to sit up straight and apologize, but her bone-deep exhaustion overruled her rational thought.

Jacques leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs. "Shall I tell you a story, Weiss?" The dangerous tone in his voice told her that it wasn't a question. "I was simply watching the news – I'm sure you understand – when I saw a profile of my own daughter on the news! Now, while I was admittedly surprised to see you there, I found it… intriguing _why_ you were being profiled. _Surely_ my own daughter would tell me the members of her team, let alone the fact that she would be leading the defense of a group of _upstart animals!_ "

Weiss' eye twitched. " _My_ team is none of _your_ concern," she snapped, "and I would ask that you not refer to the civilians _dying in the streets_ as animals."

"You're working with the child of our enemy!"

"Blake Belladonna is my friend and teammate, and I would give my life for her!" Weiss was on the edge of her seat now, all of the fury she felt spilling out unwanted.

Jacques' voice dropped her onto thin ice. "You _dare_ talk to me like that?"

" _I_ read your book on leadership." Weiss crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "A _leader_ protects their team. You're insulting my team, I lead."

"You forget, I think," Jacques said icily, "that you are on _my_ team and your actions today are an affront to the Schnee Dust Company!"

"You're wrong," she shot back, fighting to keep her voice from quavering.

"Oh, am I?" Jacques sneered. "I suppose you'll have to explain that to me on the airship."

Weiss started. "What? What airship?"

" _Evidently_ Vale is no longer safe enough to care for my daughter's education. I will be taking you back to Atlas, where you belong." Jacques looked away from her and turned to the driver, but was interrupted as Weiss clenched her fists behind him.

"No."

Her father slowly turned back around. "I'm sorry?"

Weiss' pale blue eyes were steely, burning with a fire he had never seen before. "I said, no. My team is in this city, and they need me. I will not go to Atlas with you."

Jacques turned red. "Are you disobeying me when I have flown halfway around the world to personally retrieve you?"

Suddenly, everything seemed clear to her. "You know, you're wrong about being a leader. It isn't about enemies and power. It's about trust." Weiss smiled as she remembered her conversation with Professor Port in the library. "Somebody wise told me that once. I trust in my teammates, and they trust in me. They _need_ me to be there for them, and it's my responsibility to be there to get them through _this_." She waved a hand out the window at the destruction outside.

Her father's face deepened from red to purple. "That is not what I taught-"

"Oh, your book?" Weiss shook her head. "We've been using it as a doorstop ever since Nora spilled coffee on it last month. I will admit, though, the formal events section was useful. We threw a wonderful dance, you would have been proud."

Jacques glared at her. "You're not the daughter I raised."

Weiss nodded. "Yeah, I'm not. Your daughter was a stuck-up arrogant selfish jerk who couldn't think for herself. You told me to learn how to be a leader, Father, and I did. This is what leadership looks like."

"Will you go to Atlas and return to our home?" he asked in a dangerously low tone.

"Yes, but not right now." Weiss met her father's eyes. "The school year is over, and next year won't begin until October. I will come to Atlas before then, but not before I have helped my team and this city, and I _will_ return to Vale for my second year at Beacon."

Jacques looked like he was about to bark something out, but he bit it back and nodded jerkily. "Very well. On your return, we will be having an _extended_ conversation about this."

Weiss bowed her head slightly. "Thank you, Father. Send my regards to Whitley and Mother."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Get out of my car."

She didn't wait for him to change his mind. Practically spilling out of the door, she took a long, shaky breath as the limo sped back off the way it had come. _I… just snapped at Father. Gods, Beacon really has changed me, hasn't it?_

"Miss Schnee, are you alright?" Glynda asked concernedly, and she nodded hesitantly.

"He wanted to take me back to Atlas and told me I was betraying the company with my team." She shrugged. "I chose my team. I still have to visit him later this summer, but I'll stay in Vale to help with the repair efforts."

Glynda looked at her in a new light, the makings of respect beginning to show on her face. "Mi- No, Weiss. I know Ozpin discussed with you in January how we didn't originally plan to make you a leader, but you have exceeded all of our expectations. Truly, I believe stripping you of your leadership abilities would have been the worst mistake we could have made in regards to your team's education."

Weiss gave her a weak smile. "I… appreciate that Professor, but I'd really like to find my team."

She nodded hurriedly. "Of course. Shall we find a bullhead?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Without exchanging another word, the two huntresses ran off towards the waiting ships.

* * *

 _Neo? Neo, what's happening?_

 _This is a memory…_

 _But not yours?_

 _No. Not my memory, but I still remember it clearly._

"Roman, what do you see?"

Roman squinted as the bullhead approached the camp below. "Branwen is already there, Scar. Are you _sure_ this is a good idea?"

"You're kidding me. We've been planning this stupid assassination for _months_ , of course I'm sure it's a good idea!" Scarlett yelled back into the mic exasperatedly.

"Right, but you know the rumors. Augustine's enforcer, and all that. Dying is not particularly high on my list of priorities!" Roman shouted back at the cockpit.

Scarlett responded by tilting the bullhead sideways and forcing Roman to hang on to the door to stay in the plane. "This is how we get out from under Skella's thumb, Roman! Better die trying to get rich and free than die a coward!"

"Ugh, fine! Take me closer!"

The bullhead nosedived towards the camp, angling towards the main building. Roman tensed, then let go of the airship and landed on the thatch roof. Falling to his stomach, he whipped out his cane and flipped up the sight.

"Do you see them?" his partner asked in anxious anticipation.

Below him, the two tribes faced off in the central open area of the camp. "Yeah. Branwen is talking to him with all four of her hunter-killers, and he doesn't even have his enforcer with him. It's our lucky day." Roman bit the inside of his lip as he took careful aim at Augustus' back. "I've got my sights on him. Should I take the shot?"

"Stop stalling, I want to get out reward!"

"Fine, fine." Taking a deep breath, Roman pulled the trigger three times. When all three shots met the mark, he slid down the roof so he was out of view from the tribes below. "Got him."

"Good, now get out of there!"

"Alright, I'm co-"

"Roman? Roman?!"

Roman doubled over in extreme pain as an alien conscious punched through all of his barriers and ripped through his mind. His entire body glowed black and white around his orange aura, glowing intensely for a long moment before vanishing, leaving him curled up on the roof. _What the-_

 _Augustus?_

 _What?!_

It was about then that Roman realized he could feel another person deep inside the main building. Inside his mind. Who was speaking to him. Fighting down his urge to write it off as a hallucination, he pulled a cigar from his pocket, lit it, and popped it into his mouth. Taking a long drag, he pressed the button on his comm. "Hey Scar? I need to check something out. Give me a minute?"

"What? Roman, you're insa-" Turning the comm off, he shook his head and slipped down the roof.

The back door to the main building was unguarded. Roman allowed himself a smirk as he heard the commotion exploding outside – clearly killing Augustus had been the spark needed to push the conflict over the edge. He searched the main floor but found nobody. Frowning, he focused in on the feelings leading him to the mysterious person. _Wait, they're under me!_

Roman pulled his lighter out of his pocket and flicked it on as he descended into the unlit basement. Holding it out in front of him, he stared at the iron door at the bottom, slightly ajar. "What the hell?" Hitting the light switch and pushing the door open, he stepped inside.

A young girl was splayed across a table. Blood covered her face around her mouth, and she appeared to be unconscious. Torture devices were scattered across the table, yet she wasn't even handcuffed. Roman gagged at her approached her, his aura practically reacting with hers as he did so. _What is this? What was that monster doing to her?_

Almost afraid to look, Roman leaned over the table and peered down at her mouth.

 _He cut off her tongue._

Blood rushed to his head, and he clenched his fist in determination. Turning his comm back on, he hissed, "I'm going to be behind the main building with an extra person. Be there."

"Extra person? What the fuck, Roman, this is an assassination, not a fucking rescue mission!" Scarlett shouted back.

"You don't think I know that?" Ignoring his partner's spluttered response, he curled his lip up at her bloody form. _Guess this suit is going in the trash._ Gingerly, he slid his arms under her back only to stop short as he hit exposed flesh. Yanking his arms back and rolling her half over, his mouth dropped over as he saw the exposed wound on her back. _What the fuck?! It's not even covered!_

Roman doubled his resolve to get the mysterious girl he felt a sudden connection to out of the camp. Scooping her up (she was so light!) in his arms, careful to avoid the massive open wound on her back, he retraced his steps as fast as he dared. When he ran back out the back door, the bullhead stopped circling and swooped back around. A ladder fell from the main body, and Roman grabbed hold with one hand as he held the girl with another. Before any of the bandits could get to him, they were flying over the wooden palisade and back towards the town they were staying in.

As soon as Scarlett dared, she brought the bullhead down to a landing. Roman jumped off the ladder with the girl and gently set her down on the metal floor, wincing as her back touched the exposed surface. Scarlett stalked out of the cockpit, fury written across her face. "Roman Torchwick! What were you thinking?"

"Hey, don't freak out." Roman gestured at the girl, who was still bleeding and breathing unevenly. "It's strange… I just… needed to help her. Let's get her help first, Skulla will have something, and we can talk about it later, okay?"

Scarlett's face softened as she looked down at the girl. "What did that bastard do to her?"

"Cut out her tongue, and she's got a big open wound on her back," Roman said distastefully.

Scarlett shook her head. "We'll get her to the boss. You owe me one for this, though."

Roman allowed himself a smirk as he jumped onto the airship, the doors closing around him and the girl as they lifted off once more. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

 _And that, Ruby, is how I met Roman Torchwick._

 _Wouldn't that be how he met you? Cause, y'know, you were unconscious the entire time, so it's not exactly like_ you _met_ him…

 _Rose?_

 _Yeah?_

 _Shut up._

* * *

The world was white.

Ruby and Neo sat hand in hand on a snowy hill, watching as the forest around them splintered. Chunks of earth floated into the sky, leaving only void below, giving the impression that the entire world was aught but floating islands of matter in empty space. Their shared mindscape was slowly falling apart.

"So this is what it feels like to shatter," Ruby said, staring out at the unearthly forest.

Neo leaned against her, shaking her head. "I thought we fell apart a long time ago."

"Are we stuck here?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think we are."

Ruby sighed and leaned back against the snow. The pure white sky above them loomed impossibly close and far. "We're together. That's all that matters."

Neo leaned back next to her, still holding her hand. "Yeah. This is all that matters."

Lost and broken, they drifted into the winter together.

* * *

Tai gently pulled the door shut behind him, the lock clicking into place. Qrow looked up at him as he sat down in the chair beside him. "How are they doing?"

He sighed, pressing a finger to his temple. "Weiss and Nora are crying together. I think they're going to share Yang's bed. Pyrrha didn't respond at all, she's just curled up and staring at the wall. She won't let go of Jaune's sword."

Qrow buried his head in his hands. "Gods."

"This is bad, Qrow," Tai said, staring at the sleeping girls in the guest bed.

Ruby and Neo both laid on their backs, comatose and unresponsive together on the queen bed. Neo seemed more or less normal aside from a few scrapes, but half of Ruby's face was covered by a splotchy silver mark that melded into her flash. Her right eye had gone entirely silver, and now looked more like an orb than any human eye.

"It's my fault," Qrow mumbled. "I should have been there for them this year. I should have trusted Ruby, I should have protected Bella. I should have seen this coming. I should have stopped them from leaving the walls."

Tai wrung his hands together, unable to tune out the crying from across the hall. "We all should have done more, Qrow."

"They're kids, Tai. Fucking kids, and we sent them to guard thousands of people alone. WBYR and JNPR, both of them."

"Now Ruby and Bella are in a coma, Yang and Blake are missing, and Jaune and Ren are dead," Tai finished bleakly.

"Yeah." Qrow pulled his flask out to take a drink, only to throw it aside in disgust. "Empty. Do you-"

"You know I haven't drunk in a decade," Tai said, eying the discarded flask.

His former teammate laughed in disgust. "Ironic, isn't it? Our lives go to shit, and suddenly you're the sober one and I'm always drunk."

He didn't respond. Leaning back, he looked at the shattered moon outside of the guest room window. Suddenly, the room glowed red and a portal opened up across the room. He and Qrow both jumped to their feet as Raven burst out, her sword held at the ready. She looked around wildly, then sagged when she saw her former teammates. "Qrow? Tai?"

Tai stared at his ex-wife for a moment, meeting her red eyes for the first time in years. "Rae, what are you doing here?"

"Bella's tag. I couldn't feel her as well, I got worried..." She trailed off when Qrow pointed at the bed, and her sword clattered to the ground. "Bella!" She ran to the bedside and took Neo's hand, brushing her daughter's hair out of her face. Looking up at Qrow, she asked, "What happened?"

"Do you want the whole story, or just what happened to those two?" Qrow growled as Tai looked on uncertainly. Raven just glared at him. "Riiight. It was all a setup, Rae. They manipulated the protest into happening, working with the White Fang the whole time, and then hacked the Atlesian forces and impersonate Ironwood to attack it. Then Harkan came and played saviour with his overpowered semblance, brought the entire fleet down on the city, and now Salem has an entire army of angry faunus in her pocket."

Raven's eyes widened as he talked, and she covered her mouth in horror. "He brought the _entire Atlesian Navy_ down on top of Vale?"

Qrow nodded. "Took out half of the commercial district."

Raven gently set Neo's hand back down and turned to look out the window. "Such senseless destruction… Gods…" she whispered.

"The girls got split up," Qrow said, kicking his feet up on the bed, gesturing at the comatose huntresses. "Ruby and Neo led the protesters north to the wall, Blake and Yang went after Ironwood and Taurus, and Weiss ended up getting people out of the wreckage."

"And the Fall Maiden?" Raven interjected, a hint of blue fire appearing around her body.

Tai shot to his feet at the sight. "Raven Branwen."

Raven turned around, and her blue maiden's corona sprung to life around her. Fire dancing in her eyes, she said, "I _asked_ , what about the Fall Maiden?"

Before Qrow could respond, Tai took a big step back until he was pressed around the door. "You're the Spring Maiden? You- You're the one that killed Lilia!"

The crying in the other room abruptly quieted as Raven cocked her head at him. "I trained her, she failed. The strong survive and the weak die, those are the rules."

Before they could start fighting, Qrow jumped between them and held out his hands. "Stop it, both of you! The last time you fought like this you almost killed Yang! Worry about Rubes and Bella, not what happened ten years ago!"

The three adults all briefly glanced at the bed, then Raven sagged. "Look, I… I don't _want_ to fight anymore." She made eye contact with Tai again. "Ruby is amazing, Tai. You've done a wonderful job raising her, I wish… I wish I could have been around for her years ago instead of just since January."

"I haven't kicked you out yet, Rae, have I?" Tai said tersely. "I know you've been meeting with Ruby and Bella and Blake."

"I just need to know where we stand," she said, looking to Qrow. "Does Salem have the Fall Maiden, and did… did Pyrrha make it out alive?"

Qrow sighed. "Pyrrha got Amber's powers, yeah, but Cinder is still alive and Jaune and Ren are dead."

"Oh." Raven swayed for a moment, then sat down on the edge of the bed. Eyes cast downward, she asked, "And Bella?"

Tai's head pressed back against the door, and he crossed his arms. "Weiss, Pyrrha, and Nora are in the other room. Ruby and Bella… They got trapped outside the wall by Harkan. Qrow saved them and they managed to knock him out, but once he went unconscious every Grimm in a mile radius tried to attack them. Ruby used her silver eyes, and it sent both of them into a coma. Blake and Yang… are missing."

"No, they aren't." Raven looked up at Tai. "I have them."

"What?! Why didn't you tell us?" her ex-husband exclaimed, and she rolled her eyes.

" _One_ of my daughters is stable and safe. The _other_ is in your guest bed. It wasn't on the top of my list of priorities."

"What's 'stable' supposed to mean?" Qrow asked, worry bleeding into his tone.

Raven sighed. "Yang lost an arm and Blake was stabbed in the stomach." For once, Qrow and Tai were struck silent. "I found them bleeding out in the middle of the street while a Griffon was trying to eat them. Silo healed them, or at least as well as he could. Blake will be fine, but Yang isn't going to get her arm back."

"She lost an arm?" Tai said in horror, and Rae nodded. They exchanged a look of horror only parents could share, after which he sat down hard. "Can I see her?"

Raven hesitated, then nodded. "After I talk to Pyrrha. I think… Silo will be happy to see you. There aren't many of us left who still remember when my father ran the tribe, but they should still count you as family."

"What will you tell Pyrrha?" Qrow asked bluntly.

Raven let fire curl around her irises. "She is a maiden now. I will teach her."

"Teach her like you taught Lilia?" he sneered, and she shook her head.

"For all I resent Ozpin for putting me on babysitting duties for first-years, I'll admit I do care for my daughter's friends. Besides, if I killed her Cinder would become the full maiden and we'd all be screwed." Raven turned back to look at Neo, and sighed as Qrow and Tai came to her side.

"I haven't seen Bella in a long time," Tai murmured, leaning on Qrow for support. "I know she was here during winter break, but…"

"She's beautiful," Raven whispered. Neither Tai or Qrow commented when she started tearing up slightly. "I should have been there, but I missed it. I never got to see her grow up. I never got to see either of them grow up."

"Rae..." Tai looked at his former wife across Qrow as she wiped a tear away.

"I kept my promise, Tai. I kept it for sixteen years. I stayed away, even for my baby, even for Summer's funeral." Her voice broke, and Qrow awkwardly pulled her into a hug with his other arm. "When I found Bella bonded to Ruby, I- I almost couldn't bear it. She's so much like Summer, Tai. She..." Raven choked back a sob. "I miss her. I never got to say goodbye."

"We all miss her, Rae." Letting go of Qrow, Tai hesitantly walked around his partner and hugged Raven. She stiffened, then started crying freely. For the first time in sixteen years, the pair embraced as Qrow looked on.

When they finally broke apart, Qrow drawled, "Alright, so now that you two are done I'm gonna say the same thing I said back then: it was a stupid fight and you guys should make up already."

Raven laughed weakly and hit her brother's shoulder, and Tai just shook his head. "Rae'll go talk to Pyrrha, then we'll all go see Yang, but after that..."

"We _do_ have to feed three teenagers," Qrow offered.

Raven groaned. "Do you still have that awful griddle?"

"Yep, and it still cooks the back faster than the front," Tai said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "I have pancake mix."

"And we, ah, _borrowed_ some fresh strawberries yesterday," she responded.

Qrow grinned, throwing an arm around each of their shoulders. "Pancakes it is, then."

Tai nodded, and Raven allowed herself a smile. Maybe things weren't perfect. Hell, things couldn't have gotten much worse than right then. But for a moment, a fleeting second in eternity, it felt like Team STRQ was back together again. "Yeah. Let's go talk to Pyrrha."

The three adults quietly left the room, leaving Ruby and Neo lying together under the starlight. If you stepped out into the night and saw rose petals budding under the warm breeze, you could almost say it felt like Summer.

 **End of Volume Three**

* * *

Date Completed: 6/10/18

Chapters: 10

Word Count: 96k+

Reviews: 209

Follows: 482

Favorites: 349

Views: 58,757

Communities: 3

* * *

 **re:Bound Volume Three Soundtrack**

AMBUSH: The Comedown – Bring Me The Horizon (Suicide Season)

STRENGTH OF VOID: When It Falls – Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams (RWBY Vol. 3 Soundtrack)

FAMILY TIES: Have Faith In Me – A Day To Remember (Homesick)

ARRIVAL: No Roads Left – Linkin Park (Minutes to Midnight (Deluxe))

MAIDEN: It's My Turn – Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams (RWBY Vol. 3 Soundtrack)

SPIRAL: Doomed – Bring Me The Horizon (That's The Spirit)

DESTINY: Blood / Water – grandson (Blood / Water – Single)

REVELATION: Not Just Breathing – The Plot In You (Dispose)

COLLAPSE: The Flood – Of Mice & Men (The Flood (Deluxe))

ABYSS: Divide – Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams (RWBY Vol. 3 Soundtrack)

ENDING: The Black – Asking Alexandria (The Black)

STREAM THE SOUNDTRACK ON MY YT CHANEL – Link on my profile

* * *

 **[A/N 1] On Dane:**

Dane Lilac grew, as do so many of my characters, from a simple placeholder to one of my favorite characters in this story.

When I started writing Volume Two, I knew the general direction the villain arc would take but none of the details. More importantly, I knew that Cinder knew about Neo and wouldn't attend Beacon for fear of being exposed. I knew Emerald, Mercury, and Neo (as Violet) would still be on the same team, but I was at a loss for who to fill the fourth spot with. Ultimately, I settled on using an OC.

That OC went on to become one of the main lenses to look at the White Fang through. Dane was a foil to Emerald, a deep dive into the moral complexity of Atlas and the White Fang, and ultimately one of my favorite characters to write. I think letting Emerald and Mercury be _their own characters_ was one of the best decisions I made in this fic, because with Cinder they fall into boring predictable henchmen rolls that are far less interesting to write. Moreover, his interactions with Emerald might be my favorite things from this volume, and I love that he was able to fill that role.

Dane was the spark to set the protest off, but his true character arc came through his interactions with Ironwood. He knew after he completed his role he would be discarded, yet he followed through with it anyway. I think one of the most interesting things about Dane is his assertion to Adam that he _is_ evil, but he believes that there is both good and evil in the world. To the end, he holds onto his views and spits at Adam's feet. (And by the way, KHARAKI, you got your wish from chapter 16 – Dane did end up dying a horrible death)

I hope you guys enjoyed my favorite OC as much as I did, and I'd love to know what you thought of him.

* * *

 **[A/N 2] On Arkos**

The course of Jaune and Pyrrha's relationship is ultimately a tragedy.

By the end of Volume Three, Jaune is quite different than he was in canon. Part of that is due to his relationship with Pyrrha: he's a more confident leader, yet way more insecure. However, lots of his adapted character is because of Ruby and how Neo forced her to train him. He's angry, less assertive, and resentful, less connected to his friends, and barely could stand being in the same room as Ruby. Despite that, his situation (in volume one at least) wasn't that different from canon with Cardin.

Here's the difference – in canon, Jaune has to stand up for himself and fix his own problem. In re:Bound, _he never gets that chance_.

Jaune never asks Pyrrha to train him, Pyrrha asks Jaune and he responds, _"I guess so..."_ From that moment forwards, Jaune is _never_ the person driving their relationship – it was always Pyrrha. When Pyrrha asks him to come to Mistral with her, he accepts. Pyrrha initiates their first kiss on the rooftop. Pyrrha asks him out on a first date, and after she does so, she says that "now that she had found him, she never wanted to let him slip away" (C15). Jaune shares her desperate need for somebody who sees and understands him as a person, so he's more than glad to follow along. Pyrrha is the one driving the relationship and their team, and Jaune ultimately ends up fairly dependent on her both in the relationship and as a leader.

By the time Jaune finally gets to confront Ruby, it's far too late for him to grow as a character. He tells her the problem easily, but he's unable to work them out with her. Instead, he frames their conflict in terms of how Pyrrha feels about it – in other words, he lets his own feelings drop because Ruby is _Pyrrha's_ best friend and _Pyrrha_ trusts her. When Volume Three starts after the three-month timeskip, Jaune's feelings of resentment and anger towards Ruby have only grown.

Jaune and Pyrrha loved each other, and they certainly had the happiest relationship of the three couples. However, Arkos in re:Bound was an inherently **unhealthy** relationship.

Jaune snaps in Volume Three _because_ he never stopped searching for his closure with Ruby. He has one point of assertion in the chapter twenty confrontation: if Ruby hurts Pyrrha, he promises to make her pay for it. Jaune sees his chance to finally _take action_ in his relationship and seizes it, challenging Ruby even though Pyrrha doesn't want him to. Pyrrha tells him, "you're my boyfriend and Ruby's my best friend, you can't do this to me,"and Jaune responds, "You know what she's done to me! How can you take _her_ side?" (C17). Jaune get his chance to fight Ruby, and she pounds him into the dust without ever understanding why he's fighting. Worse, she fuels Pyrrha's argument, telling him, "She needs you right now, and you're doing this instead." (Also, poor Jaune gets cut off all the time)

The climax of Arkos in re:Bound comes when Pyrrha and Jaune argue about the fight that night. Jaune explodes at Pyrrha. He tells her that "I wanted to be strong for somebody else for once in my life" and asks if it's wrong to want to matter. Pyrrha's response is super manipulative: she asks if he gives a shit about her, and she says, "I just want someone to see me as a fucking equal! And you know what? That person has been Ruby. Always" And Jaune can't take it anymore, and he just falls apart.

Jaune is in the relationship because he desperately wants somebody to see him as an equal. With that, Pyrrha takes that away from him and gives it to Ruby, the person she's never let him have closure with.

When Pyrrha asks for _her Jaune_ back, she's really asking for the person who never took initiative in their relationship back. Neither of them knows how to respond when their two-person order is disrupted, and the results are utterly catastrophic. She convinces him that she doesn't need a hero because she is the hero, and suddenly he feels in the wrong. The fact that they have sex together after just adds to the trainwreck that is the day before the protest.

Pyrrha isn't a bad person, at all. She's selfless, kind, and humble to a fault, but her relationships are just a mess. Her parents dumped her in an apartment alone when she was fourteen, her childhood was a mess of parties and fake friends, and Ruby (her only real friend) is an even bigger mess than her.

In the end, though, Jaune finally makes a stand. In this chapter, he saves Pyrrha's life at least three times. When he takes Cinder's arrow on his shield, Pyrrha begs him not to fight her because they both know that he will die. He responds that maybe she's the one who needs a hero this time, and he fights for long enough for Pyrrha to regain her focus and bring her maiden powers back. When he dies, his final words are a declaration.

Jaune Arc wasn't useless. He died the hero he came to Beacon to become.

* * *

 **[A/N 3] It's finally over.**

 **25k. It took me three weeks of steady work, but I got through it and I don't know how to feel. This chapter is the darkest of this story and it's absolutely brutal – I cried at Dane's death, Amber's death, and the Team STRQ reunion. It's going to be a long recovery, and there's a long way to go from here.**

 **Pyrrha is the Fall Maiden, and Jaune, Mercury, and Ren die. People have been asking me how different from canon this chapter will be for months, and the answer is very. In the end, every little change and butterfly effect led to Jaune actually paying attention when he guarded Amber's pod and saving both the former and current Fall Maiden's lives. Emerald and Mercury end up staying with Cinder because they don't need to mess with the finals, and Ren and Nora have the misfortune of getting dragged along for the ride.**

 **Team JNPR are first year hunters. Emerald and Mercury are trained assassins and hunter killers. 3v2, without Pyrrha and with all their weapons broken except for their melee modes, that encounter is deadly. Mercury gets killed because his boots (his only weapon) are completely broken so his only weapon is martial arts, and Emerald's semblance (usually) only works on one person.**

 **Qrow saves Ruby and Neo's lives, and then Ruby saves all of their lives. They did manage to capture Harkan, though. More on 'Rose,' silver eyes, and Harkan's OP semblance to come in Vol. 4!**

 **Adam is a literal monster. After getting two major injuries from Dane (including his face, that's gonna sting), he kills Dane in the bloodiest way possible, disarms Yang (thanks Barbs), and stabs Blake in the gut. Since Raven never had to save Yang from Neo in Volume Two, her "I save your life _once_ " bargain comes in and she brings them to her camp. That means Yang and Blake will actually be _together_ for Vol. 4 (Plus, where would Blake have run to? Her parents fled Vale with the Fang!)**

 **Finally, Weiss stands up to her father and doesn't let him whisk her away to Atlas. I'm not sure what I find more unforgivable about Weiss leaving at the end of volume three – the fact that she let her father take her or the fact that _RT didn't even show us_! In any case, being forced to lead WBYR is the best thing that's ever happened for Weiss' character and I really like her arc this volume.**

 **So, that's where Vol. 3 ends and Vol. 4 begins. Yang and Blake with Raven, Ruby and Neo comatose, Pyrrha, Weiss, and Nora coping together, and Team STRQ reunited. Harkan is captured, Cinder and Pyrrha are bonded, Emerald is a wreck, and the White Fang along with most of Vale's faunus are firmly within Salem's grasp. Glynda just lost her closest friend and her fiancee, and Ozpin is getting reincarnated off in the netherworld.**

 **PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed reading this volume as much as I liked writing it. Your feedback, love, and support have blown me away, and I'm eternally grateful that you continue to support me on this crazy wild ride. I hope everyone has a wonderful summer, and I'll see you all again when re:Bound returns in the fall.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **re:BOUND WILL RETURN IN LATE AUGUST**


	31. V4 - Lifeline

Volume Four, Chapter One: Lifeline

* * *

re:Bound

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 11/24/18

* * *

Every song starts with a single note.

When destiny comes to pass and steals from the light, seals humanity in the depths and lets their kingdoms crumble around them, it is so easy to slip away into darkness. Yet there are those who still stand, who still fight, for the past will never change but all it takes is a single step to bend the future. Stars in the dark, aura in the night.

When you hit rock bottom, the only way to Fall is up.

* * *

 _"Neo…_ _?"_

 _Frozen hands clasped together, crystals forming where skin touched, bitterly cold. "I'm here," she whispered, barely able to form the words._

 _"It's so cold..."_

 _Bella desperately wrapped her body around her Rose, tears freezing into sparkling gems_ _before they could run down her face. Rubies and diamonds_ _fell_ _through_ _ocean, vast, endlessly dropping away around them. They floated through nothingness, anchored to nothing but each other._

 _"I'll save you, Ruby… We'll wake up from this, I promise."_

 _"You… promise?" Ruby whispered._

 _Stardust spilled into the void, unbound._

 _"Yeah. I promise."_

* * *

 _I am the Fall Maiden._

The Xiao-Long household was quiet in the early June morning. Soft light drifted through the open windows, leaving the house warm and sunny. In the kitchen, a pile of dirty bowls and dishes teetered at the edge of the sink, covered with syrup and melted chocolate. A bowl of fresh strawberries rested next to a freshly clipped white rose on the counter.

Pyrrha curled up on the cushy armchair, running her hand over the soft fabric aimlessly as she dug her feet in between the cushions. Fire had died to embers running through her veins. She could feel it in her aura, her semblance; the power coursed beneath the surface, buzzing with sheer power that brought the world around her into sharp relief. The corner of the coffee table looked _crisp_ ; the oil and butter from breakfast cloyed the air, making the atmosphere even thicker than before; each individual fiber of the couch lingered on her fingertips; and worse of all, the awful, unbearable chasm that had opened the moment Jaune had taken Cinder's arrow with Crocea Mors _ached_ with more intensity than anything she had ever felt before. Was this what magic did to people? Why could she only truly sense the world once the best thing in it was gone?

And above all, Pyrrha missed Jaune.

 _Why? Why did he sacrifice himself for me?_ Pyrrha couldn't understand. She didn't know how to understand. Failure meant long days grounded in her room in Nikos Mansion, running her katas and exercises until her hands bled. Failure meant losing her apartment, her freedom, having to return to her parents. Failure meant death for the people she loved the most. Pyrrha Nikos was Mistral's Golden Girl. She never lost. She never failed.

Until now. Pyrrha had lost the battle, she had failed to claim her destiny, and now Jaune and Ren were dead.

 _I should be dead._ That was _her_ punishment for not being strong enough.

Jaune had never understood that about her. He had never understood why Pyrrha couldn't afford to lose, why she would never be able to stop training, why she could never be anything less than perfect. Before Beacon, Pyrrha had to be perfect for her parents. At Beacon, from the moment she had pinned him to a tree with Milo in the Emerald Forest, she had to be perfect for Jaune.

Jaune was gone, and now she was lost.

"Pyrrha?" Nora descended the stairs and walked towards her. She had clearly been crying – angry tear-stains marred her usually cheerful face, now mired in sadness. "Are you okay?"

Pyrrha closed her eyes, silent.

"Weiss is upstairs, with Ruby and Violet," Nora said, tripping up over the mysterious girl's name. She paused by the side of the couch, reaching out and resting an uncertain hand over Pyrrha's. "She won't leave their side. I think she blames herself for all of this."

"..."

"I mean, can you blame her? She was in charge of the defense." Nora laughed harshly, shaking her head. "They put a group of first-year huntsmen in charge of defending the protest. I… I knew Vale was just as racist as Mistral, but putting so little effort in defending their own citizens..."

"..."

Nora pulled her hand away. Pyrrha felt her teammate collapse on the couch next to her and pressed she pressed her head against her arm. "I'm not naive, Pyr," Nora said bitterly. "Ren and I were homeless for years, I know how _awful_ the world can be. Coming to Beacon, it was so easy to just forget about it, but…" Clenching her fist, Nora slammed it against the couch. "Why didn't they _tell us!?"_ she yelled.

Nora's voice carried through the empty house. "I don't know," Pyrrha whispered.

"Ruby knew for months! We could have trained! We could have known it was coming! We could have beaten Emmy, we could have killed Cinder, we could have saved- _I could have saved him_!"

Nora burst off the couch and flipped the coffee table into the air, a dark rage Pyrrha had never seen burning in her teammate's eyes. Before the table could collide with the window, she jumped to her feet and flung a hand out. The table froze in mid air, metal screws holding the legs to the wooden slab glowing black.

"Nora, stop!"

Nora spun around, her eyes wild. "But-"

"Ruby tried to protect us!" Pyrrha yelled back, pulling the table back to earth. "You know what she and Blake were like this spring. They both knew, and it tore them apart! We both know Ruby-"

"Yeah, I know that she's a psychopath! She tortured Jaune for months and she's killed people!"

"Because of Neo, and they've gotten better!"

Nora rolled her eyes. "Oh, right, because the _serial killer_ in her head makes this any better!"

"And you don't think she _wanted_ to tell us? You think she _wanted_ any of this?" Pyrrha cried in near disbelief. "This is Ozpin's fault, not hers!"

"STOP DEFENDING HER!" The room fell silent. Nora's breath came heavy as she locked gazes with Pyrrha. "Why are you always defending Ruby?" she asked, her voice breaking. "You chose her over _Jaune_! Ruby abused our teammate, your _boyfriend_ , for months and you took _her side_ when Jaune was trying to protect _you_!"

Pyrrha stepped forwards angrily. "It wasn't his fight!"

"Yes, it was! That's the whole point of a relationship, people _do things for each other_! Why don't you get that?"

"Ruby was my first friend! She told me she would die to protect me!"

Nora's eyes widened in outrage. " _Jaune did die_ _to protect you_!"

"HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO!" The maiden's corona burst to life around Pyrrha's body; brilliant red flames erupted from her eyes. Lashing out with one arm, an invisible wall of force crashed into Nora and sent her careening backwards into the wall.

"Stop it!" Pyrrha froze and Nora fell to her knees as Weiss sprinted down the stairwell, steel in her icy blue eyes. Pyrrha's powers vanished, and she staggered backwards, staring at her hands. _What did I do?_

Horror spread across her face. Pyrrha looked up at Weiss. "Weiss?"

Weiss stormed in between the fighting girls. "I can't believe you two are fighting right now. Our friends are dead andRuby is in a coma! I don't care whose fault this is cause it doesn't matter! You are teammates. I _suggest_ you act like it."

"Why do you care? Nobody on your team died," Nora said bitterly. She reached up to wipe an angry tear away from one eye with her fist.

"And one of my teammates lost an arm while the other two are in coma!" Weiss took a shuddering breath. "Look, Nora, Pyrrha, I'm sorry. We're _all_ grieving right now, but that doesn't mean we can take it out on each other. Jaune and Ren were my friends too. But this..." The Schnee Heiress pointed at the wall, where a small dent had been made by Nora's impact. "This ends now. Is this what Jaune and Ren would have wanted?"

Nora and Pyrrha exchanged a guilty look, but neither responded. A little bit of anger left Nora's expression, and Pyrrha stared at the floor.

"What do you think I've been thinking about since breakfast?" Weiss asked quietly. "I've known something was wrong with Ruby since September. Ozpin told me that there was a secret I couldn't know in February. If I had known earlier, I could have helped Ruby and Neo, but I didn't and neither did you two. We're first years. We were never strong enough to face off against people like Cinder Fall or Harkan. We did everything we could, and we're lucky _more_ of us didn't die."

Nora stepped forwards. "But-"

"Destiny," Pyrrha murmured, and Nora and Weiss both turned to her. "Destiny isn't a choice. Ruby said that to me, before the finals. Nothing can change the past, Nora. Not Ruby, not Ozpin, nobody."

"I can't believe that." Nora clenched her fists even tighter, trembling.

"Why not?" Weiss asked.

"Because then Ren is really gone, and I can't bring him back." Turning on her heel, Nora grabbed Magnhild from the foyer and stormed out of the house. The door slammed shut behind her.

Pyrrha and Weiss stared at where she had been for a long moment, then Weiss shook her head and turned away. "I'll be upstairs," she muttered, then stalked back up the stair to Ruby and Neo's room.

The emptiness of the living room was oppressive. Pyrrha sank back onto the same couch as before and buried her head in her arms on the armrest, feeling more isolated than in years.

 _He wasn't supposed to die. He was never supposed to die for me._

* * *

Blake wanted to run.

The stench of blood and sweat hung in the stale air of the medical tent, cloying her sensitive nose and turning her stomach every time her thoughts drifted back to the massacre. She could hear the chaos of the tribe around her; Raven had ordered an immediate move after she had returned with unconscious Blake and Yang to leave at first light. Her stomach ached where Adam had stabbed her: _Adam had stabbed her._ All of her worst fears had come true in the most brutal and horrendous way possible. The attack had happened, and the White Fang was involved. Adam was the new White Fang leader. Adam had worked to _massacre his own people_. Adam had killed Dane. Gods, Dane was dead. He would never call anyone another stupid nickname again, never sit down and talk to her about Faunus rights again. Granted, Blake hadn't known him all that well, but he was still Neo's partner and she had watched _Adam cut his head off_ -

Blake still was in denial about Jaune and Ren. She simply couldn't understand how a third of the people she really knew at Beacon had died in one night, all because WBYR hadn't been strong enough to prevent a tragedy. _We're first year hunters-in-training,_ some cynical part of her brain whispered to her. _What chance did we stand against Adam or Cinder or Harkan?_

None. Some idealistic part of herself seemed to darken – Blake had known, Ruby had known, _Ozpin_ had known, and nothing stopped the attack. The protest against military extra-judicial killings had ended in a kingdom's militia executing as many protesters as possible. Their leaders were dead. The farce was brilliant. Blake couldn't think of a more decisive way to drain the faunus of hope, and she felt _hopeless_.

Ruby and Neo were comatose. Ghira and Kali, her parents, had walked straight into Salem and Adam's clutches. Dane, Jaune, Ren, Sienna, Lilianne, and so many others were dead. And Yang-

Yang lay on a pallet in the center of the test. Sweat beaded across her forehead, and her breath rose and fell unevenly in the turgid summer air. Where her arm should have been, a stump wrapped in bloody bandages hung limply instead. The tribe medic, a large man who had introduced himself as Silo, had worked at Yang's side for two hours before she was in a stable condition. Blake had been keeping a vigil at Yang's bedside until the emotional exhaustion had overtaken her and she retreated to a chair at the edge of the tent.

Blake wasn't ready to face Yang. Yang, burning in rage the morning of the protest when the entire truth about Ruby came out. Yang, the brawler, who lost _an arm_ because Blake's abusive ex was on a vendetta to hurt everything Blake loved. Yang, who was going to wake up and see her mother for the first time in _years._ Yang, the most important person in her life, her girlfriend, who she had lied to for months.

 _I don't deserve her. Nothing I've ever done has made me deserve her._ _Yang_ _would be better off without me._

Blake wanted to run, but she couldn't and she didn't know why.

 _No. I know exactly why._

 _Ruby_ _had_ _stood in the middle of the darkened classroom, wiping away angry tears from her silver eyes. "I don't give a damn._ _I_ _lost a semester of my life because I pushed myself away from them, but I'm never going to do that again. If you're going to hurt Yang again, if you're going to keep pushing her away, then fuck you."_

Hot tears trickled down Blake's face; she curled up in her chair, just like she had when Ruby had stormed out of detention in January. "You were right, Ruby," she whispered to herself. "This stupid secret really did ruin both of our lives."

She had hurt Yang, maybe irreparably so, but there was no way in hell she would push her girlfriend away again. The time for secrets was done, and she couldn't run any longer.

Why did everything always circle back to Ruby Rose?

"Blake?"

Blake snapped out of her thought at the faint whisper. Eyes widening, she rushed to Yang's side and took her good hand. Yang stirred, and Blake furiously wiped away her tears. "Yang? Can you hear me?" she murmured shakily, pulling a loose strand of hair from her girlfriend's face.

"Why can't I feel it?"

Blake stared at Yang's bandaged arm in dismay. _How can I tell her? I- She's going to hate me even more after this, I- "_ It's going to be okay," she found herself whispering, squeezing Yang's hand. "You're safe, we-"

Yang's eyes opened. Blake was trapped by her desperate expression for a moment, then looked away, unable to see the fear in those lilac eyes. "Blake, I… I need to hear it from you," Yang whispered. "What happened to my arm?"

"He cut it off." Blake flattened her ears against her head in shame. "Adam cut it off. I couldn't get it back, we almost didn't get away. I'm so sorry, Yang."

"So it's just… gone?" Yang asked in a defeated monotone. "He cut it off on the first strike, just like that?"

Blake just bowed her head.

Yang looked away from Blake, wincing as she pulled her stump into view. She stared at the bandaged limb for a long minute in silence.

"What happened to the others?"

Another tear dripped onto Blake's hand, rolling onto Yang's, blurring her vision. "Ruby and Neo are in a coma. Pyrrha got Amber's powers but couldn't kill Cinder. Jaune and Ren are dead. My parents are missing. Raven rescued us, and we're with her tribe now."

Another long silence. The only indication Yang gave of hearing her was her hand tightening around Blake's. "So we failed."

"What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know. I don't care. I..." Yang's voice cracked, and she curled up on the pallet. "I'm just going to lay here for a while."

"Yang..." Blake tried to pull away, but Yang grabbed her arm. Slender fingers dug into pale skin.

"Just... don't leave me. Promise me you won't leave me."

Blake let it slip from her lips as Yang pulled her back. "I promise," she whispered, lying down on the cot next to Yang. There wasn't enough space on the tiny single bed for two people, so Blake had to cling to the edge, unable to embrace Yang and unable to stand up and walk away. The faint scent of strawberries still clung to Yang's hair through the blood and grime, a cruel reminder of better days; Blake wanted nothing more than to curl up in a tiny ball and block the world out.

Yang eventually drifted off to sleep. Blake's insomnia kept her up, motionless, drowning in the dark.

* * *

One of Ruby's earliest memories was of snow. Fat flakes drifting past their living room window, Yang bouncing around the house while she pressed her nose to the frosty glass, entranced. Tai and Summer had cooked together, laughing as they flipped pancakes and made hot chocolate, not a care in the world. After, the whole family had bundled up and gone outside. Ruby missed her corgi hat – it had had gray tassels and ear warmers, perfect for a three-year-old girl in the snow.

Yang and Dad had run off to make a snowman; Ruby had shrieked in delight when Summer began to chase her around in circles. When her mom caught her, she playfully sent them tumbling into the snow, powder covering her hat and Summer's red-black hair.

"Look, Rubes, watch this!" Summer had exclaimed breathlessly, then fell back into the snow and began to move her arms and legs. Ruby knelt at her side, watching her dig into the falling snow with bright eyes and rosy cheeks.

"What is it? What is it?"

Summer carefully got to her feet and stepped away, leaving only her imprint behind. "It's a snow angel," she had said softly.

Her mother's smile had been all Ruby cared about back then. "Okay!" Ruby jumped into a fresh snowbank, squishing up against her puffy red winter coat, then rolled onto her back. Waving her arms as fast as possible (not very fast), she swam through the snow and made her wings. "I did it!"

Summer laughed, her smile lighting up the snowy morning. "Yes, you certainly did, little Rose. Yes you did." If Ruby let herself drift far enough into her own mind, she sometimes could still feel the kiss her mother had pressed to her brow.

Even in winter, Summer always smelled like roses.

* * *

"What are we doing, Neo?"

Ruby lay in the center of the snowy clearing in her bloody torn cloak and singed combat skirt, staring blankly up into the sky as the snow drifted onto her exposed skin. Rising Thorn stuck up in a nearby snowbank, the naginata's blade pointed skywards. Frozen air was dead against her face; a creeping numbness that never seemed to numb enough. The scar at her side from where Neo had slashed her ached. Her entire body ached. Her right eye just was burning.

"I don't know." Neo leaned against an icy evergreen with boughs draping low and each leaf frozen like a sparkling diamond. Her eyes were sealed shut.

Ruby exhaled, her breath spilling into the air above her in a cloud of vapor. "We were going to be strong enough. We were going to be strong enough to stop Harkan. Salem. We were going to protect people."

…

"Did any of it matter? All those nights training, when you-" Ruby's voice caught, then she narrowed her eyes at nothing. "When you tortured me. What was the point if it didn't make a difference?"

"It made a difference."

"How?" Ruby demanded.

"We're still alive. We beat Harkan."

"And we still failed. Ironwood betrayed us. The protesters were slaughtered. Vale was _burning._ "

…

"Ruby..."

Ruby clenched her fist, a handful of snow packing in her grip. "I told myself that I was okay with it," she whispered. "Everything that happened in the fall, it was training. I could forget about the lies and the hate and all times you hit me. I could forget about the night I snapped. I could forget about Black Rose. It didn't matter as long as we were getting stronger. It didn't matter because of you."

"We did get stronger," Neo whispered back. "Rose, we've come so far since the fall. Both of us have."

"Not far enough."

"That's not true-"

"Yes it is!" Ruby slammed her fist into the snow, fury rising in her chest. "The training meant _nothing_! Harkan was seconds away from killing us – if Qrow hadn't gotten there, we would both be dead!"

"And you don't think I know that?" Neo pushed away from the tree and stalked towards Ruby. "You lasted for ten seconds against Harkan in Forever Fall. You fought him for five minutes, long enough to stall for a full hunter to save us, and you knocked him out!"

"But-"

Neo's eyes shifted, turning a dangerous pure pink. "Rose, you're fifteen! Nobody expects you to save the world! You took out an immortal Grimm hybrid created by Salem! Do you have any idea how fucking proud I am of you?"

" _You_ expect me to save the world!" Ruby shot back. She was on her feet in a flash, her outline in the snow trampled underfoot. "Do you even remember when you showed me Cinder on Beacon's roof? 'Look at all these awful people, guess I better hit you harder so we don't die?!'"

"That is definitely not what I said," Neo muttered. "And I was scared, okay?"

Ruby's eyes flashed. "Yeah, you know what? You were scared of Cinder and Harkan, and _I_ was scared of _you,_ " she shouted. Her voice echoed through the snowy forest, hollow in their shared mindspace.

…

Neo took a step backwards, shock flashing across her face. Her pink eyes turned to brown and white, the combative edge fading away.

Ruby bowed her head. She took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heartbeat enough to stop herself from lashing out at Neo again. _This isn't her fault, this isn't her fault, this isn't her fault…_

But in an awful, painful way, it was.

In the four months since Neo had returned from her time with Raven, Ruby had finally started to feel _happy_ again for the first time since Torchwick's death. She and Neo were something more that partners, nothing like Blake and Yang or Jaune and Pyrrha's relationships. Neo was just… Neo, and that had been all that mattered. She was ice cream and dinners with Raven and sparring and cuddles at night when she was lonely. Ruby's PTSD flashbacks had slowly gone away, she had gotten used to Rising Thorn and made her peace with Crescent…

 _We never really talked about_ before _, did we?_

"You hurt me."

The accusation came out more childish than Ruby had hoped for, petulant and angry. Neo looked away. "I..."

Ruby shook her head. "You wanted me to be like them. You wanted me to be like _Augustus._ " A cold wind swept down from above, sending snow flurries lashing into their faces and blowing Ruby's tattered cloak to the side. "Why?"

"You know why, I had been with Roman for a decade, I was-"

"So that's all it was? You were grieving, and you wanted to take it out on me?"

Neo bowed her head.

"That's bullshit."

…

"I don't understand," Neo mumbled.

Ruby strode the rest of distance between them and grabbed Neo's shoulders, forcing Neo to look up at her. "Neo, once I understood what Roman meant to you, I couldn't blame you for grieving," she said fiercely. "Even in the Fall. Forcing me to watch my worst memories, all of the nightmares, the anger… It was awful, but I don't blame you for any of it. I know what it means to lose somebody." Ruby bowed her head for a moment, releasing Neo and letting a hand fall to the silver rose emblem at her waist. "But what you did to me last fall wasn't grief."

Neo stared at the ground. The snow began to fall heavier around them; she unclipped her parasol from her belt and furled it over her head. The pattern dappled shadows over her shoulders, slowly losing its clarity as snow settled on the plastic.

"You wanted me to kill Jaune. You made me lie to Blake. You tortured me for months. You made me exhaust my aura over and over again." Ruby's eyes were haunted when she looked up at Neo. "You made me kill Cardin, Neo. You made me almost kill you."

"I wasn't thinking clearly," Neo whispered.

"No." Ruby clenched her fist. "I think you were thinking clearly. I think you _wanted_ me to bludgeon you with Crescent that night. You spent two months breaking me down for me to snap like I did that night because you wanted me to be just like _them_! You told me that yourself – 'if you won't be one of them, I'll just turn you into one of them myself.'"

"That's not true!" Neo exclaimed, finally breaking out of her stupor. "You think I wanted that? You think I wanted any of this?"

"What am I supposed to think?" Ruby shot back. "Starling killed your parents and enslaved you! Silas made you assassinate little kids! Augustus made you fight a war against your own mom! And Three- Three just, he-" The word rape was ash on Ruby's tongue, and she couldn't bring herself to say it. "I was fifteen! I am fifteen! What part of grief made you try to turn me into a monster!?"

…

"I told you," Neo whispered, barely audible over the raging snow storm around them.

"Told me what?!" Ruby's chest clenched, throwing her arms out. Their mindscape twisted in agitation, snow spiraling tighter around, the edges dissolving into trails of dust levitating into the sky.

"I'm a weapon, Rose. I told you to use me. I didn't deserve anything better than to be used, and I didn't deserve you! Even Roman used me, and you wouldn't!"

Ruby's eyes widened and she stepped back. "You're not a weapon!" she exclaimed. "You're a person who had a lot of bad things happen to you, Neo, and-"

"I don't even have a real name!" Neo's illusions burst to life around her body, black lightning biting through the snowstorm.

"Do you _want_ me to call you Bella?" Ruby yelled over the wind. "Bella Branwen! I would have called you that from the beginning, but you didn't tell me until two days ago!"

"Because my name is Neo! Neopolitan is all I'm ever going to be! That's all I've ever been! I don't even know what memories are real and what Augustus altered anymore! For all I know, everything I've shown you is just some twisted nightmare he brainwashed me with! All I've ever been was what they wanted me to be, and you _wouldn't use me!_

"That's not true!"

The world froze around them when Ruby screamed. Neo stared at their surroundings in shock, then looked back at Ruby. "Yes, it is," she repeated faintly.

"No." Ruby marched towards Neo and grabbed her parasol. Pointing the full umbrella at her, she said, "I don't care whether your name is Neo or Bella or Violet. You are not a tool, you are not a weapon, you are not an object, and if you think you are then that isn't okay!"

"But-"

"No buts! You're a person!" Ruby's eyes blazed, and she jabbed the parasol at Neo. "You're Raven's daughter and my partner and Blake's friend! You have feelings and hopes and fears and like ice cream and play my video games without telling me and everything awful that's happened doesn't change that!"

"I don't deserve to be a person!"

Ruby's breath caught in her throat. The tip of the parasol sank down to the snow, her arms falling limp at her side. "That's not okay, N- No. That's not okay, Bella," Ruby whispered.

Bella – _Bella –_ stared at her in sadness, images of her scarred back floating in Ruby's mind. _Like a doll. I thought she was like a doll, I never meant it-_ "Maybe it's not okay," Bella murmured. "But that doesn't mean it isn't true."

"It isn't true. That's so awful, how can you think that's true?" Ruby whispered, the horrifying picture Bella was painting only beginning to sink in. _I thought she was getting better. I thought it was all in the past, I- Gods. She doesn't even think she's a real person._

"Because of them."

"I've told you, I won't be like them! I won't let you turn me into one of them!" Ruby cried, and Bella flinched back.

"But-"

"There is no but! It won't happen! Does this spring mean nothing?" Ruby waved a hand at the snowy world around them. "They're dead, Bella! Augustus, Three, all of them! You _never_ have to be with one of them again. I promise you. _Never._ "

Bella swayed unsteadily, then sprinted towards Ruby and hugged her. Ruby returned the embrace, letting Bella press her face against her cloak. "You promise?"

"Of course I do, idiot."

The clouds above them began to lighten, drifting away and letting the sun peak down. The snow frozen in the air unfroze and fell to the ground, leaving a crisp blue sky behind. Ruby and Bella held each other for a long time, lost in their mind.

"You called me Bella," Bella said eventually, breaking the silence.

Ruby shrugged. "If I knew that calling you Neo made you feel like this, I would have called you Bella a long time ago."

Bella shivered in her embrace, curling in on herself. "The only time I can remember being called Bella is the night Raven left and I stayed with the tribe in January," she whispered. "How much did Augustus take away? How am I supposed to use my own name when my first memory of it is the worst night of my life?"

"We'll make new memories," Ruby declared, squeezing Bella tighter. "Me and you and Blake and Raven, we'll do all sorts of awesome stuff. Think about it: _the best day ever, with Bella Branwen and her super awesome friends!_ "

In spite of herself, Bella laughed, shaking her head. "That's terrible, Rose. Nobody would ever do that with you."

"Oh, they definitely would," Ruby said, then they drifted off into a comfortable silence.

…

"I forgave you. For the fall." Ruby closed her eyes and pressed her head against Bella's, releasing a deep breath. "But I can't pretend like it didn't happen at all, and neither can you. Even with the time we spent comatose last time I used my eyes, we went from enemies to… whatever we are so fast. After everything that happened during the attack, I can't just go back to pretending nothing is wrong. I don't think you can either."

Bella nodded silently.

A bittersweet smile crossed Ruby's face. "I love you, but I love the _real_ you. Not Neo, not a weapon, and not whatever they wanted you to be. Until we _both_ know who Bella is, who you really are, I don't think we should do any of the… stuff."

"The stuff?" Bella said, pulling back just to raise her eyebrow at Ruby.

Ruby turned beet-red, and made a wild hand-gesture. "Shut up, you know what I mean! The, like, the- uhhh, the kissing and stuff," she blurted out. Bella laughed at how flustered she got, and Ruby laughed with her before getting serious again. "Look, I just..."

"You just what?"

"I liked it. I liked it a lot. I like you a lot, but..." Ruby paused for a second, trying to find the right words. "I don't know if I feel completely comfortable doing stuff with you like that yet," she finally admitted.

Bella sighed. "I… That's okay, Rose. Can we make the snow go away, though? I'm cold."

Focusing for a moment, the snowy forest faded into the grassy seaside they used to talk in their dreams often. Ruby sank to the ground and flopped down on the hillside, exhaling as the sun warmed her frozen hands.

"Much better." Settling next to her, Bella propped her head up on one elbow.

 _It really is._ Ruby let her thoughts drift back to the conversation before speaking again. "It's hard, trying to, um, kiss and stuff with the bond. Like, I know how much it hurts you when I accidentally command you to do something, and I'm always so worried I'm gonna accidentally order you to do something you don't want to. Cause, like, that's rape, right? And I won't do that. Ever. I'd rather never kiss you again before accidentally making you be like that."

Visible pain crossed Bella's expression at the word rape, and Ruby took her hand and squeezed it, already knowing she was thinking about Three and Augustus. "Thank you," Bella managed to murmur.

"Also, I was thinking about the age difference," Ruby whispered, her guilt growing at the thought. "I know everyone we've told reacted like it was gross. I ignored them because I do love you, but they're not wrong. You're almost nine years older than me, and I'm only fifteen. Blake made me read some boring law stuff about dating and stuff this spring, but it talked about consent, and, um, stuff… and like, even though neither of us said no, you and me being… together is still- still rape. Legally. And maybe they're right."

"I didn't rape you," Neo hissed, her expression suddenly fierce and wild. "I would _never_ rape you, Rose."

"I know, I know!" Ruby said hurriedly, waving her hands. "And I think the laws were only in Vale and Atlas, I think Mistral is, um..." She made a face. "Worse. I just… I love you, and I want _us_ when us happens to be, y'know, awesome! I just… I don't know, Blake used a fancy word… um..."

"Consent?" Bella asked, a bit of anger lingering in her tone.

"Yeah. I want us to both be able to, to consent. When we do stuff. That's all." Ruby looked at Bella hopefully, who sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I, just…" She shrugged helplessly, her face falling. "How is it even possible to consent, legally, if I have an aura bond?"

"I don't know," Ruby mumbled. "Doesn't really matter, aura bonds are way more illegal than rape anyways."

Bella nodded, looking out at the sea. "Yeah. You'll turn eighteen in what, two years?" she said, giving Ruby a clearly fake smile that made her heart twist. "That's not that long. And, I mean, you can't even talk about kissing without blushing, which is adorable but… yeah…"

"And we'll find a way to make it so I can't force you to do things," Ruby responded, fighting her blush back.

"That's impossible. Aura bonds last until the bonded dies."

"I don't care, we'll figure something out. Maybe we can use it against itself. Like, what if I ordered you not to take any orders from me? What if I ordered you to act on your own free will?"

Bella shivered. "You would still be ordering me to do those things," she said in a small voice, and Ruby hung her head.

"I know… There's gotta be something we can do, though. I know there is."

Bella dropped her doubtful look and she sighed. "So best friends?"

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, ignoring the twinge in her heart when she said it. _This is for the best._ _This is best for Bella._

"I'm going to figure out who Bella is."

"And I'm going to fix things with Yang."

"Me too."

Ruby gave Bella an incredulous smile. "Are you ready to share a sister?"

"Absolutely not." They burst out laughing, which somehow helped Ruby push aside the thought that _Yang is going to hate me for keeping everything from her._ Once they calmed down, Bella gave her her best smirk. "And if we're not _together_ together, you definitely have got to get less awkward about kissing."

Ruby's blood ran cold. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Bella gave her an utterly sweet smile that only Ruby could read the sadism in. "Getting you a girlfriend, obviously! You know I predicted Jaune and Pyrrha _and_ Yang and Blake, and I know you waaay better, so..."

If Ruby had been an ice sculpture, she would have shattered. "But- But I don't need a girlfriend, I have you!"

She got a saucy wink in return. "Not if I'm your best friend! It's my honored duty to set my little rose up with a hot piece of-"

"Bellaaaaaa!"

* * *

 **[A/N] Here we goooooo!  
**

 **I am so hyped for the rewrite. Everything is back on track and rearing to go, chapters are a reasonable length, and _aaaaahhhhhh_. If you want a copy of the old volume four, email me at allisonilluminated at gmail dot com.**

 **More importantly, Volume Six is, so far, the best volume of RWBY and _holy fucking shit_. If you have even a passing interest in this fic, watch chapter five. Just- just do it. I promise you will scream just as loud as I did. Bless you, CRWBY, you are hitting this volume out of the park.**

 **Love you all~**

 **Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 12/1/18**


	32. V4 - Ghosts

Volume Four, Chapter Two: Ghosts

* * *

re:Bound

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 12/2/18

* * *

Ruby knew something was wrong from the moment she opened her eyes.

 _My eye. What happened to my eye?_

The right side of her was stiff, unmoving. Her hand shot to her face, and she froze when she felt the cool metallic surface of her skin and felt nothingfrom her face, from the frozen orb where her eye should have been to the burning edges where her pale skin turned to steel. A breathless whimper escaped her lips, disbelief catching in her chest.

Half of her vision was gone.

 _No._

The burning. Her eye had _burned_ when her silver eye power had been activated, and not before. Ruby's breath came faster as she desperately thought back to when she had first used her powers; she had felt the burning then too, but not so intense, so concentrated. What changed? There were more Grimm, sure, but- How-

 _Ruby! Ruby, you have to calm down, you're having_ _a panic attack!_

Bella pulled Ruby tight to her chest as she started hyperventilating, rubbing calming circles on her back. Ruby's single eye darted back and forth around the dark walls of the spare bedroom, as if that would somehow restore her vision. _It's gone! I can't- I can't- Bella, I can't see!_

Ruby's back stiffened when a wall of calm forcibly flooded her system, coated with the familiar touch of Bella's aura. Her panic slowly melted away, her breathing calming, but it _hurt_ to be injected with so much aura after an aura coma, even through their bond. She began crying, her other emotions spiraling when tears only fell from one eye.

Bella held her tighter, hanging her head on Ruby's shoulder. _Gods, Rose, I had no idea. I knew we were in a coma, but…_

 _It's just gone. I can't feel it, I can't move it, it's like my face is frozen._ Ruby's tone was unnaturally even, the alien calming emotions fighting the rest of her body.

 _I'm sorry._ Bella's aura melded into her own, letting their emotions wash together. _I felt just like this when I lost my tongue,_ she whispered, sending Ruby flashes of waking up thrashing in a hospital bed. _I'm here. We're alive. We beat Harkan._

 _My eyes did this. My own eyes hurt me._

 _I know._

Fierce anger burned in her veins, and even the artificial calm wasn't enough to suppress it. _My own eyes can hurt me and_ nobody _fucking told me! s_ he raged mentally, trying to break free of Bella's embrace.

Bella held Ruby tight. _I know._

A high-pitched scream ripped itself from Ruby's throat. Ruby tore herself from Bella and scrambled back on the bed, pressing herself against the oak headboard. Her hands clawed at her metallic skin, digging into the skin at its edges and the gaps around the orb, trying to rip the silver away and find her unblemished skin underneath. _GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!_

A fingernail drew blood. Bella launched herself at Ruby and ripped her hands away from her face. _Stop!_ They crashed into the headboard when Ruby tried to throw her off, Bella's head colliding painfully with the wood. Determined, Bella shook it off and pinned Ruby to the bed, holding her wrists against the mattress.

"Let me go!" Ruby shrieked, kicking and whipping her head back and forth. Blood spattered on the white sheets.

The door slammed open, and somebody rushed in. Green light enveloped Neo's body, and her entire torso seized as she closed her eyes. _No! I won't let you hurt yourself._ Sharp pain ripped through Bella's mind, and a guttural scream escaped her as she resisted the command with all her might.

Bella's pain shocked Ruby out of her craze for a moment, and Ruby's mouth went wide as Bella's eyes rolled back in her head and she toppled sideways off the bed, collapsing into a seizure on the ground. She froze, then scrambled to the edge of the bed. "No. No no no no no. Bella!"

"Ruby, get back!"

Rough arms wrapped around her chest and pulled her away from the bed as Qrow rushed around and pushed the bed away from Bella's head. Tai held her fast in his grip – she tried to escape, but she was weakened from her coma and couldn't pull away, couldn't go to Bella's side, couldn't stop the seizure that she had caused- _oh gods, this is my fault!_ "Let me go!" she screamed. "I can stop it, I can help her, let me go!"

Bella jerked around violently on the floor, Qrow holding the curtains up to stop her from getting tangled and pushing the bed away with his foot. "No, she's having a seizure. Touching her will only make this worse," Tai said fiercely.

Sure enough, thirty long seconds later the worst of the spasms ceased and Bella went limp on the floor. Ruby, who had been screaming and struggling the whole time, fell silent. Qrow immediately went to her side and took her pulse. "She's breathing," he announced, backing away. "Somebody get me a pillow and bring water."

Weiss rushed over from the doorway and grabbed a pillow from the bed. She handed it to Qrow, who gently lifted Bella's head up and slipped it under. Feet pounded on the stairwell, and Nora burst in with a glass of water, closely followed by Pyrrha, who asked, "What's happening?"

Before anyone could answer, Bella's eyes fluttered open, and a deep confusion filled Ruby's breast. _What… what happened?_

Qrow knelt down to catch her attention, and she flinched away. Chaotic images of Qrow and Raven and Starling spun in their shared mindspace as Qrow calmly said, "Hey, kiddo. You had a seizure and took a little fall. Are you okay?"

She weakly nodded her head, then turned to look at Ruby. It took Ruby a moment to register the look in her eyes.

Bella was concerned. For her.

In that moment, Ruby couldn't take the waking world anymore. _Talk through me,_ she said, then let herself fall back into her own mind.

After the attack on Beacon and sharing one body with Bella, letting her partner's aura flow through her and overtake her was easy. Just as easily, Ruby let herself flow into Bella's body and let her eyes fall shut again.

"What are you doi- Ruby? Ruby, what did you do?"

Hearing her own body talk was… _disorienting_ , to say the least. Being in Bella's was even stranger. Ruby had two eyes again, but everything was, well, shorter and more compact. Old scars ached on her back; the missing tongue was odd, but nowhere near as gut-wrenchingly awful as losing an eye. She looked at herself and caught Bella's expression once more: the concern was gone, replaced with shock.

 _I think we just switched bodies,_ Ruby whispered mentally.

 _Wha-_

Before Bella got a chance to respond, Tai was asking, "Rubes? Bella? What happened?"

Bella seemed to short-circuit for a long moment, unsure whether to feel betrayed or horrified or concerned. Ruby cringed at her uncertainty but retreated further into Bella's body, deep guilt racking her at what she had just done. "I'm not Ruby, I'm- I'm Bella," Bella said, stumbling over her name.

Everyone else in the room but Pyrrha reacted with shock, backing away from Bella. Tai abruptly let go of her and backed away, looking from Bella to Ruby in shock. Pyrrha, on the other hand, uncertainly stepped towards her and asked, "What's going on?"

"Rose, she- she had a panic attack because of her eye. She was hurting herself, so I stopped her." Bella's tone grew fierce as she spoke, clenching her fists. "She ordered me to get off. I refused, so the bond tried to make me. I haven't had a seizure from resisting the bond since I was a little kid."

 _I'm sorry._ Closing her eyes – _her eyes_ – Ruby curled up into a ball, burying her head against her legs.

Somebody crouched at her side. "Rubes?" Tai asked quietly, and she quivered when he put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Don't." Bella pulled Tai away from Ruby, who let her in dazed confusion. "Please, I'm fine. She's not going to hurt herself, not while she's in my body. Just… let her be."

"But-"

"Tai."

"Did you do this to her?" Qrow snarled, stepping towards Bella. "Is this your fault?"

Dead silence filled the room. Ruby whimpered at the cold fury that washed over Bella. " _My_ fault? You think this is my fault, _Uncle?_ " she hissed. "You were _there_ when we used our eyes, and you think this is my fault?"

"Your eyes? Like hell those are your e-"

Bella stalked forwards and slugged Qrow straight across the jaw. "You don't know shit about us! About me! You've hated me my entire life!" Bella yelled as he staggered backwards. "I'm your niece, _asshole_ , why don-"

"Woah, woah, everybody stop!" Tai stepped in between the two Branwens, holding out his hands and taking a deep breath. Qrow looked ready to jump his former teammate, pressing his hand to his jaw, but looked away with a dark scowl and took a long drink from his flask instead.

Glaring at Qrow for a moment longer, Bella glanced at Tai and her frightened classmates. "Look, if any of you can't deal with us right now, then go. We'll talk later, okay?"

Qrow and, to her surprise, Nora immediately left the room, followed by Pyrrha who cast her a hesitant and apologetic glance. Tai knelt by Ruby and murmured, "Hey, Rubes, I'm going to put you back in the bed, okay?" Ruby gave a weak nod, and her dad gently picked her up and deposited her on the bed. _Thank you._ Bella relayed her message, and Tai nodded. He looked up at Bella with a serious glance. "I'm trusting you to talk her through this," he murmured. "Please, if there's anything I can do..."

"She'll be okay. I promise."

Tai cast one last glance between them, then nodded quietly left the room.

"Violet?"

Weiss stood awkwardly in the center of the room, not meeting her glance. "Hi, Weiss," Bella said, suddenly awkward as her anger deflated. "I, um..."

"Do you guys mind if I stay?" Weiss asked, clasping her hand anxiously. Bella seemed to hesitate for a moment, and Weiss added, "I just… I don't want to leave you two alone. Not now."

"...Fine. You're our partner. The others, though..." Bella collapsed in a chair and leaned back, kicking her feet up on the bed like Ruby had seen her do so many times before. Seeing Bella do it in her own body was strange. Ruby's head felt hazy, the after-effects of the seizure still lingering in her vision. Bella caught her staring and gave her a weak smile. _Rose…_

 _I'm sorry,_ Ruby whispered. _I ordered you and I didn't even realize it. I took your body without your permission. I'm the worst best friend ever._

 _Not your fault. We didn't know about this._ Two fingers pressed against silvery skin. _I will_ never _let you harm yourself, Ruby Rose._

 _Even if it means hurting you?_

 _Even then._

"You guys are talking, aren't you?"

Neither of them had noticed Weiss sit down in the chair next to Bella, legs crossed. Bella broke eye contact with Ruby guiltily. "Yeah," she admitted.

Weiss smiled faintly. "You know, I knew your semblance was illusions but it never even occurred to me that you might be one, too. Violet doesn't really exist, does she?"

"Not really." Bella shrugged. "It was a good illusion. Ozpin magicked it so it couldn't break, and Blake helped us hide it well. Where is Blake?"

"This is the first time we've really talked, isn't it?" Weiss asked, ignoring the question.

"Ruby said things for me, sometimes, but I guess so."

"I'm sorry. To both of you." Weiss' knuckles whitened when she clenched her hands. "I'm sorry I never trusted you when we were ambushed. I'm sorry I couldn't make you a real part of our team. I'm sorry I let my stupid isolation problems get in the way of being a good partner. I should have noticed everything. I should have been able to help you. Blake shouldn't have had to carry that burden. I'm so sorry."

"Weiss..." Bella crossed her arms, looking over her shoulder at Weiss. "You don't have to apologize. We hid this from you. You did the best you could."

Weiss laughed shakily. "I know, I just… I've been sitting in this stupid room for a week, waiting for you to wake up and thinking about how I could have failed _so badly_ as a leader, and… I don't know."

Ruby's heart broke as she watched Weiss bite her lip, visibly trying not to cry. Bella hung her head, squeezing Ruby's eye shut. "I-"

"Please don't." Weiss shuddered, a loose strand of hair falling into her face. "Please," she whispered. "If you say- I- I… Can we just pretend, pretend that we're partners, just for a little bit? If- I don't know-"

"Yeah," Bella whispered back. "Just for a little bit."

Nobody said a word when Weiss rested her head on Bella's shoulder, tears silently dripping down her face. Shadows turned in the silence.

* * *

 _Ruby saw the world in a red haze, glass disintegrating around her with every step. She walked in lockstep, knights with dark visors lining her path. Breath catching, she shrieked, trying to fight her way free, but her body was paralyzed, useless,_ _weak._ _Manacles bound her hands and feet. The green light was a distant murky brown through the film of blood. Aura carried her, became her, consumed her._

 _"_ _You're mine now," Harkan hissed in her ear, rancid breath cloying her senses as he led her down the aisle._

 _A scream was lost to the still._

 _The stage before the city hall loomed above Ruby. Two figures stood together, waiting for her._

 _Roman gave her a mangled half-smile, the gash running down his face and torso bleeding freely. "Look who's seeing Red now," he said maniacally, and Ruby fought to tell herself that it wasn't real, it wasn't real, it wasn't real, it-_

 _Besides Roman, Ruby stood, umbrella in hand and a cruel smirk twisting her face. "How does it feel,_ Neo _?"_

 _"Her name is Bella!" Ruby screamed, only she had no tongue and her back was bleeding and Ruby's eye was bleeding molten silver and Harkan was laughing and Roman was laughing and the knights turned away and began to fire on the crowds that had materialized around them._

 _Ruby on the stage drew Crescent_ _Rose_ _. "Then who are you?"_

And for the worst moment when Ruby shot up in bed screaming, clawing at her face with Bella's hands, blood dripping down her fingers from the gouges she had raked in Bella's unblemished face, she didn't know.

 _"I don't know."_

 _"Then die," Ruby said. When Crescent Rose ripped through Bella's body, Ruby shattered like glass, blood on the shards, laughter echoing over the gunshots._

* * *

"Mom!"

Bella launched herself into Raven's arms the moment the Nevermore Queen stepped into the Xiao Long living room. Raven staggered back, her eyes widening in surprise. "Ruby? Wha-"

Bella shook her head, a desperate smile crossing her face when she met Raven's gaze. "Not Ruby, Mom. Bella."

Raven's breath caught in her throat. "B-Bella? Not Neo?"

"Bella."

Mother and daughter locked eyes for a moment, then Raven laughed in bewildered joy and hugged Bella beck as tightly as possible. "For good?" Bella nodded, and Raven's eyes squeezed shut in victorious satisfaction. "I swear to the gods, I am never using that stupid fucking nickname again."

They broke apart, and Bella looked up at Raven in barely contained awe. "I can talk to you again!" she exclaimed.

Raven's expression was both overjoyed and confounded. "You're in Ruby's body? How? Where is Ruby?"

Instantly, Bella's face fell, and she glanced back over her shoulder at the living room.

Pyrrha, Weiss, and Tai were squeezed together on the couch, watching with varied levels of interest. Nora, who was leaning against the stairwell, was scowling at the ground. Qrow was outright glaring at his sister and Bella. Ruby was curled up into a little ball in the armchair, knees drawn against her chest. Bella's hair was messy and disheveled, spilling into her face.

"She had a panic attack when we woke up," Bella murmured to Raven. "She tried to claw the silver off. I had a bond seizure because of her, and afterwards she just… pushed me into her body. She isn't ready to switch back yet. I'm the only one who can help her – Qrow's being awful, Tai doesn't know what to do, and nobody else..."

"Nobody?"

Bella let Blake pull her into a tight hug, smiling weakly at the faunus. "Blake. No, it's been two days, I… I don't know what to do."

"Can I talk to her?" Blake whispered.

"She can't say anything back, we haven't figured out how to use each other's semblances yet, but yeah."

Nodding, Blake let go of Bella and walked over to Ruby's side. Raven and Bella moved closer together, Raven laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. Yang slipped past both of them, silent and brooding, then sat down under the holoscreen, her empty sleeve dangling uselessly from her right shoulder. When Tai tried to make a move to comfort her, Yang shot him a glance. "Don't."

Ruby glanced up when Blake approached her, and her face lit up. One brown eye turned white – apparently, Bella had discovered, her body's heterochromia worked regardless of who was in her body. _Blake…_

Blake knelt at Ruby's side and started whispering in her ear, and Bella did her best to tune them out so as not to eavesdrop. Instead, she led Raven into the kitchen to grab chairs from the dining room table. "How long are you staying?"

"For the rest of the morning. I would have come sooner, but things have been… chaotic, really. The Grimm are frenzied, and we had to move camp, so we lost some good men," Raven said quietly.

"And you and Tai are…?"

"For now, yeah."

"Mom, that's awesome," Bella said, lifting a chair and dragging it towards the living room. "I'm happy for you."

Raven gave her a rare smile, and she grinned back. "And I'm just happy that you and Yang are both okay."

Reentering the living room, Bella pulled her chair up next to Ruby, who was hugging Blake. When Blake let go and went to get a chair, Bella gave Ruby a sidelong glance. _Are you okay?_

 _Better, now. I missed Blake._

 _Me too._

 _I want answers, though._

 _I think we all do._ Bella looked from Pyrrha to Nora, frowning.

 _I still can't believe that Jaune and Ren are just… dead. Gone. Just like that._

 _Me neither._

* * *

When Blake finally re-emerged from the kitchen, two chairs in tow, she pulled them up to Yang and they both sat down. "So, this is all of us?"

Nora clenched her fists, looking away from the gathering. Pyrrha made herself smaller against the side of the couch, shaking Weiss' hand off her shoulder when the heiress tried to comfort her. "I guess so," Qrow muttered, taking a long drink from his flask.

Bella glared at her uncle, taking Ruby's hand and squeezing. "I have some questions."

"I think we _all_ have some questions," Yang said.

"Yeah, I have a question," Nora growled, and the entire room turned towards her. "You're telling me that there's an evil Grimm cult after people with _actual magic_ , they orchestrated the entire attack on Vale just to get at _one_ of those people, killing thousands, and everybody in this room knew about it except me?!"

Silence.

"Yeah, that's a pretty good summary," Blake squeaked.

Holding her stump, Yang muttered, "It's not like Weiss and I knew about it until the night before, so I'm not sure it make much of a difference."

Nora laughed, a hysterical edge to her tone. "Not sure it makes a difference? You know who knew? Team WBYR, and look who's sitting here right now. You know who didn't know? Me, Jaune and Ren. Where are Jaune and Ren? They're dead!"

"Ozpin-"

"Yeah, well Ozpin's dead too." Nora cut Weiss off. "Do you think I care what _Ozpin_ says?"

"Look, Nora, I get that you're upset," Bella said calmly, meeting her eyes. "But having an aura bond is a crime punishable by death, and Blake would have been arrested for being in the White Fang if she had tried to leave the academy!"

"It was blackmail," Blake added. "I _never_ would have kept it from Yang otherwise."

"I don't care! You never let us in! Never!" Nora pushed off of the wall, her eyes blazing. "Every time you guys got into fights, every time, we were there and you never let us in. We would have trained with you, we would have dropped the tournament and helped you protect the protest if you had just _told us_! Did you ever care about our team? Did none of you even consider that _maybe_ your friends would want to _help_ you instead of turning you in to Ozpin?"

"Stop." Raven rose from her chair, and Nora faced her angrily. "Nora Valkyrie. I understand that your partner is dead, but faulting your own teammates is despicable," she said harshly, and Tai and Qrow shared a long look. Nora's eyes widened, then she threw a wild punch at Raven, who simply caught it in her palm. Red spiked fingers tightened around her white knuckles. "You are a hunter. You knew the risk when you signed up, and you accepted it when you followed Pyrrha to Beacon during the attack. If you hadn't followed her, Salem would have the maiden and Pyrrha would be dead too."

"But-"

"Four eighteen-year-olds against two professional assassins and a maiden. Frankly, it's a miracle you managed to kill Black and escape with half of the maiden's powers, kid." Qrow shook his head. "You saved a lot of lives back there, and so did Ren and Jaune."

"But I couldn't save him!" Nora shouted.

"Please don't shout right now," Weiss groaned. "I already have a headache from this whole mess..."

"So you don't ca-"

" _Don't_ say I don't care." Standing up, Weiss stalked towards Nora, her eyes flashing dangerously. "I do care. If I didn't care about all of this, why would I have led the defense of a protest with the _White Fang_ , who have been killing my family for years? This is bigger than you or me or Ren, Nora, and it always has been. So, why don't you stop saying the same angry things you've been saying for the past week and _wake. up._ "

Nora's eyes widened and she took a step back, but Weiss wasn't done.

"All of us are dealing with the attack, okay?" Weiss gestured at the assorted hunters behind her. "Did you forget that Jaune is dead too? Yang lost an arm! Ruby lost an eye! You're not alone, Nora, so maybe if you just let us be here for you, we can help you and figure this all out together!"

Casting her gaze around the room, Nora found nothing but solemn faces. "Please," Pyrrha said quietly, meeting her eyes. Scowling and crossing her arms, Nora sank down the wall and didn't respond.

Weiss sighed, then turned to the rest of the group. "We can't afford to be divided right now," she said, easily slipping into her ' _Ruby Rose, I swear to the gods'_ voice. "We've been sitting around this damn house for a week doing nothing while Vale is a pile of rubble. If anyone else feels like sitting around and wallowing in their self-pity, I am quite honestly _sick_ of it. I'm going into the city after this – they've been asking for huntsmen to help dismantle the airship skeletons. If anyone on my team – and that's all of you, Nora and Pyrrha – wants to go with me, then maybe we can actually do something about this mess."

"I'll come," Pyrrha immediately offered. Extending her arm, a flame burst to life and she gave Weiss a half-smile. "I've been meaning to properly test this anyways."

Bella nodded, then looked to Ruby. _Hey, Rose, will you be okay without me for a few hours?_

 _Yeah,_ Ruby whispered back. _I'll be fine. Will you be able to help in my body?_

 _I'll manage._ "Yeah, I'll come too."

Weiss shot a surprised look at Ruby. "You will?"

Bella narrowed her eyes. "I said _I'm coming_ , Weiss. Ruby will be fine here for a while." A look of guilty surprise flashed across Weiss' face, and Bella relished the twist of cruel vindication she felt with her. _I'm here, and you're not going to forget it, Ice Queen._

"Fine," Nora growled. "At least I'll get to destroy things."

Everyone looked at Blake and Yang, and Yang looked away. "I'll pass."

"Yang..." Weiss murmured.

"Why would you even want me there?" Yang asked, lifting her maimed shoulder. "I'm a brawler. I can't fight with one arm. I'm just going to go back with Raven."

Tai's eyes widened. "You're not staying here?"

Yang narrowed her eyes at her dad. "Y'know, after hearing the promise you made Raven make to stay away, I'm not so sure I want to."

Tai looked deeply hurt, and got to his feet and walked out of the living room. Qrow gave Yang an apologetic glance before running after him, and Raven watched them go with wide eyes. Bella and Ruby both gaped at Yang, a shared consensus running between them that _we have to say something._ "But you have to come home, you-" Bella said, letting Ruby feed her the words.

Instantly, Yang's head shot up with blood red eyes. "You're not my sister. You're not Ruby. You have _no right_ to talk to me."

Ruby shrunk down in her chair and Bella flinched back, but it was Raven who spoke first. "No."

"No?"

"Bella is just as much my daughter as you are," Raven said in a cool voice that seemed to visibly pain Yang. "Staying at my camp is a privilege. If you refuse to act like you deserve to stay with me, then I _will_ leave you here with Tai."

Bella and Yang stared off for a long moment, Ruby looking frantically between them. "So what, I have to earn my place as your daughter? Leaving me for fifteen years wasn't enough?" Yang asked incredulously.

"No. Both of you will _always_ be my daughters, but a bandit camp is no place for a girl who can't even get herself out of bed!"

Deep betrayal burned in Yang's eyes, but she scowled and looked at Bella. "Sorry," she muttered.

Bella stared back with a cocked head. "That wasn't even me talking," she said. "Those were Ruby's words."

Yang looked from Bella to Ruby, turned bright red, then looked away.

"I should probably go back with her," Blake told Weiss apologetically. Weiss shook her head and waved it off.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the living room. Raven gave Yang one last disappointed look, then went into the kitchen where Qrow and Tai were talking quietly, leaving only the kids behind.

"I'm going." Nora got to her feet and grabbed Magnhild from the entryway. "Who's going to go smash shit with me?"

Pyrrha stood up and lazily stuck her hand out. Milo and Akouo came clattering down the stairs and shot into her grasp. "Weiss is right," she said. "There will be other times to grieve. Right now, we need to do something. Jaune-" Her voice broke. "Jaune wouldn't have wanted us to fight each other like this."

"I guess the gathering is over," Bella said. Walking to the door, she grabbed Rising Thorn, currently in machine gun mode, and waved it at Ruby. "Hey, Rose, mind if I give Thorn a go?"

Ruby gave her a weak thumbs-up.

"Good luck!" Blake called, waving as Yang scowled and slouched in her chair.

The group said their goodbyes and departed. Bella and Ruby talked until their connection start to fade, the sunny summer forest glistening around her. Finally, Ruby's presence flickered out of her mind, leaving Bella on her own to truly contemplate the strangeness of being in Ruby's body without Ruby's presence. She had to fight to keep herself from laughing; the cloak, Rising Thorn, actually being able to speak, it was a lot.

 _I want Ruby to feel comfortable in her own body, obviously! She can't use this as a crutch. Still, though, if we had to switch on a mission or something, I wouldn't mind it much, I think._

In any case, being away from the Xiao-Long house was a relief, even if only for a bit.

* * *

The burly hunter manning the relief center raised an eyebrow as Weiss led the group in. "Aren't you four a little young for this?" he asked.

Weiss strode up to him and crossed his arms. "You don't know who we are, do you?"

The man shrugged. "I've been on a long term mission to the southwest. Just got recalled to help with this mess."

"I'm Weiss Schnee, and that-" Weiss jerked her thumb at Pyrrha. "Is Pyrrha Nikos. We're here to help with the search and reconstruction effort."

"Hello!" Pyrrha said cheerfully.

A grunt was Weiss' only response. Bella felt a wave of respect wash over her; it was rare for somebody to keep their cool when meeting two of the most famous people at Beacon. "Semblances?"

"Summons and glyphs, a strength variant, polarity and fire, and..." Weiss looked at Bella questioningly.

Bella stepped forwards. "None, but I've got this," she said, unleashing Rising Thorn's naginata and smirking when the man did a double take.

"You four will be on Demolition, then. Search and Salvage is done with some of the bigger ships, we need help moving them from commercial to the docks. You'll probably have to break it down a bit-"

"Actually, if I cast a gravity glyph and Pyrrha uses her semblance, we can probably move the whole thing," Weiss offered, and the man shook his head.

"Whatever you say, kid." He looked down at his scroll and tapped a few buttons. "Names and leader?"

"Leader is Weiss Schnee, with Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, and- and Ruby Rose."

Another grunt. "Your scrolls should have the location. Don't get yourselves killed."

"We won't," Pyrrha called over her shoulder.

Stepping out of the tent, Bella blinked to readjust to the bright morning light. Vale looked like a war zone around them. Scorch marks covered the nearby buildings, and many were caved in entirely. Before them, the looming wrecks of downed airships towered over the city. Atlesian airships were true monstrosities, nearly as tall as some of Vale's shorter skyscrapers. Luckily, the skyscraper hub, nestled between the upper-class district and the industrial district, was primarily west of the damage, but the damage had been so extensive that buildings had been damaged even there.

"It's horrifying," Weiss said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Never again." Nora's fists trembled as they walked into the disaster zone. "I don't care what happens, I'm never going to let anything like this happen again if I can do anything about it."

Pyrrha shuddered. "And all of this is caused by one person?"

"Harkan," Bella spat. "He was after me, and he took an entire city down trying to kill Ruby."

"I'll kill him," Nora growled. "Right after I bash Emmy's head to pulp."

"You can't kill him," Weiss retorted. "We all heard what happens if somebody does. They'll get the aura bond he has to… _something_ awful, and that's worse than death."

Nora scowled, and Pyrrha put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure something out," she said firmly. "Let's just focus on this right now."

"Alright," Weiss said, coming to a stop before a hull that rose nearly five stories into the air. "This is our assignment. We have to get this to the industrial district."

Pyrrha, Nora and Bella gaped at the twisted wreckage, which had been blackened during the crash and was easily one of the largest structures Bella had even seen. "That's a Mark Three Atlesian Warhawk!" she gasped.

Everyone else stared at her. "How do you know that?" Pyrrha asked.

Bella blushed and ducked her head. "Ruby's a _little bit_ of a weapons geek. She fangirled about this fleet every time we got into an airship."

Pyrrha and Nora ogled Bella as if they had never realized she was a real person before – _which they probably hadn't,_ she realized. Weiss just snorted. "C'mon, let's not waste anymore time."

"Weiss? Pyrrha? Ruby? Nora?" The group spun around to see Velvet Scarlatina standing behind them, her face lighting up. "Oh, wow, it is you! Are you assigned to Demolition too?"

Weiss nodded, smiling when she caught sight of Coco Adel and Yatsuhashi Daichi walking up behind Velvet. "Yeah, we decided it was time to start helping. How's Team CVFY? Where's Fox?"

Velvet's face immediately fell, her ears drooping into her face. "Fox… didn't make it. We got caught on one of the transports out of the stadium when the EMP hit and crashed in Industrial. All of the civilians died and… he was trying to search the wreckage for survivors when it blew up. They told us the engine got further damaged in the crash."

Coco and Yatsu had caught up by then, and took one look at everyone's expression and sighed. "Fox?" Coco asked.

"Yeah," Velvet responded with a tired sigh. "How are you guys? Where's the rest of WBYR and JNPR?"

Nora and Pyrrha looked at the ground, and Weiss just sighed. "I can't explain again," she said exhaustedly.

Bella stepped forward, giving Team CVFY a tired frown. "You guys know we were in charge of defense, right?" They nodded. "Adam Taurus was conspiring with the ringleaders to make the massacre happen. There were two others besides him – Cinder Fall and Harkan. Team JNPR went after Cinder, Blake and Yang went after Adam, and R- Violet and I went after Harkan."

Yatsu's eyes widened. "You guys are first years."

Bella nodded. "Yeah. Trust us, we know." She pointed at her face, and Velvet and Coco both flinched. "I lost an eye, but Violet and I managed to capture Harkan. He's in custody, somewhere. Adam cut off Yang's arm and got away, but they're both still alive. And..."

"Jaune and Ren are both dead," Nora said bluntly, crossing her arms. "Merc and Emmy faked their deaths, they were both working for Cinder. We killed Merc and stopped Cinder from getting her primary objective, though."

"She was trying to destroy Beacon and the CCT," Pyrrha added. "Instead, they just had to debug it."

"Blake and Yang are with Yang's mom in Anima right now, and Violet is having problems recovering, so here we are," Weiss said, gesturing at their fractured teams.

Velvet bowed her head. "We're sorry for your loss."

"C'mon," Yatsu said, stepping forward to rest a hand on his teammate's shoulder. "Let's figure out how to move this thing."

The seven hunters turned to stared at the massive collapsed battleship. "Any ideas?"

Pyrrha and Weiss looked at each other. "Well..."

"Pyrrha, you aren't going to..." Bella made a vague hand gesture, and Pyrrha frowned.

"What's the point in hiding it? Cinder and all of her… people know who I am, and Ozpin is dead anyways… If it can help people, I don't want to hide it."

Coco narrowed her eyes. "Hide what? If you're talking about your polarity, then we already know, trust us."

Weiss thought hard about it for a long moment, then nodded. "Do it."

Pyrrha nodded. Stepping forward, a hazy red aura began to form around her body. Team CVFY gasped and stepped back when fire snapped to life around Pyrrha's eyes, and Pyrrha began to slowly levitate into the air. "I'm going to get a better look at it!" she yelled down, then shot into the air in a blaze of flames.

Coco gaped at the maiden. "Okay, first of all, what the hell? Second of all, that was cool and I need to be able to do that now."

"Trust me," Bella drawled, "It's a looong story."

Moments later, Pyrrha descended. "She's like an actual goddess," Velvet stage-whispered to Coco in awe.

"Vel, I hate to burst your bubble, but she's, like, the straightest girl in existence," Coco whispered back. "I mean, have you seen what her and Jaune are- were like?"

"Darn it."

Pyrrha, entirely oblivious to the awed conversation happening below, called, "It's split into two parts! I think we can take it, Weiss!"

"Glyphs?"

"Glyphs!"

Weiss drew her sword and strode forwards. Sticking the tip into the concrete, a massive black gravity glyph appeared beneath the hull. "Now!"

Spreading her arms wide, Pyrrha's aura turned to visible fire as she channeled the maiden's powers through her arms and into her semblance. With an earsplitting groan, the entire hull glowed black then slowly began to lift into the air. Dust and rubble fell back into the impact zone, a flattened crater shadowed by the hulking wreck levitating above it.

Bella watched in awe at seeing the maiden's powers used for something other than destruction for the first time. "Maybe we didn't need to come," she murmured to Nora, who nodded slowly.

Suddenly and without warning, the entire structure collapsed back to earth with a ground-shaking boom. Bella covered her face and coughed when the dust cloud enveloped them. When it cleared, Pyrrha descended from above, eyes and body blazing with iridescent flames. "I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get it all the way to Industrial, guys," she said, completely oblivious to the chaos she had caused on the ground. "

"Don't do that again!" Weiss roared. "At least warn me when you're going to drop an _ATLESIAN BATTLESHIP_ on us! Do you have any idea how much it costs to wash this dress?"

"MY NEW SHOES!" Coco screamed.

Pyrrha noticed that her friends were in inexplicably dusty, and landed with a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry?"

Bella facepalmed when the two team leaders started chasing after the maiden. "On second thought, it might be a good idea to break it up first," she muttered.

Velvet and Nora both nodded vigorously, and Yatsu said, "Yes, I think that would be for the best."

* * *

It was nearly ten when Bella finally slipped into the guest room, utterly exhausted but with a broad grin across her face. "That was terrible!" she exclaimed triumphantly, collapsing into bed next to Ruby. "Why did I agree to help again?"

 _Cause you're a good person?_ Ruby offered.

"Nah, that doesn't make any sense," Bella said, thinking hard. "Oh, right, just for the looks on Velvet and Coco's face when Nora, Pyrrha, and Weiss single-handedly dismantled the entire thing in twenty minutes. Well, really just Nora?"

Neo smirked evilly. "We found a coffee shop and a downed power line."

Ruby shuddered at the thought of a caffeinated, powered up Nora. And _she was angry too…_

 _It was good,_ Bella said, switching to speaking mentally. _We did good._

 _Sucks about Fox, though…_

 _Yeah._

 _I'm glad you had fun._

Neo nodded, looking Ruby over. _You seem better._

 _I do feel better, a little bit._ Ruby sighed, lying back on the bed. _Raven and I talked –_ _I mean, she talked, I typed –_ _fo_ _r_ _a long time after you guys left, cause Tai and Qrow left to track down Jaune's family and Yang and Blake went upstairs to grab some of Yang's stuff._ She snuggled into the covers, pulling Bella closer to her. _It's nice, having a mom again kinda._

 _You think of her like that? I thought she was just your aunt._

Ruby shrugged. _Yeah, but I don't really like Qrow anymore, and she's like that for you and Yang and, I don't know. I don't think she meant it, but she kept giving me these super happy glances. I think it's cause I'm in your body, but… It made me think of my mom mom, y'know?_

 _Summer?_

 _Yeah…_

They sat in the quiet together, listening to the soft conversation in the other bedroom where Pyrrha, Nora, and Weiss slept. Cicadas buzzed outside, and the moon peered through the gap between the curtains and the wall.

 _Thank you._

 _You don't need to thank me for anything, Rose,_ Bella said, tucking her head under Ruby's chin like she always did – which was awkward yet familiar when their bodies were switched.

 _I know, you always say that, but…_ _I ordered you around again and I hurt you and you still let me use your body for two days. I- I don't know whether I would've been able to handle it if I had been stuck in my own body._

 _I don't mind. If anything, it's a gift. I haven't been able to have real conversations with anyone but you or Roman in a decade. I missed it._

 _Yeah. I'd still take no tongue over no eyes, though._ Ruby tapped her body's metallic skin with a resigned frown, and Neo sighed.

 _Yeah._

 _Can we try… switching back?_ Ruby asked hesitantly.

Bella nodded. _Whatever makes you comfortable, Rose._

The second time they switched bodies was more fluid than the first. Their auras simply melded together for a brief, disorienting moment, then Bella found herself back in the familiar comfort of her own body. Ruby stiffened when she returned to herself, but she fought the impulse to claw at her eye and gave Bella a shaky smile. _See? I- I think I can do this, now. My eye isn't going to come back, so… I just have to get used to this. This is normal, now._

 _I believe in you_ , Bella drawled, earning herself a smack from Ruby that turned her smirk into a genuine smile. _And we should probably figure out how the hell we just did that, cause I've never swapped bodies with one of them._

 _Training, too._

 _Tomorrow?_

 _Tomorrow._

Ruby relaxed into Bella's embrace, and they slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **[A/N] CVFY! I never really had time to work them into the first few volumes kinda like Penny, so they get a bit of a spotlight here. The Coco/Velvet dynamic is excellent and I like the blunt, dry way I wrote Yatsu.**

 **Seriously, though, I put a lot of research both into Ruby's panic attack and Bella's seizure. I've seen both epileptic and heat-induced seizures first hand, and they're one of the most terrifying things the human body can do. I've always had the body swap thing as a possibility of the bond – more on that in later chapters tho.**

 **Pyrrha and Weiss are a power duo and nobody can tell me otherwise.**

 **Thank you for 600 follows and 300 reviews, loves! Your support blows me away every week~**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 12/8/18**


	33. V4 - Blaze

Volume Four, Chapter Three: Blaze

* * *

re:Bound

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 12/16/18

Beta: Vixie

* * *

 **[A/N] I've been wanting to do a Pyrrha-centric chapter for a while – this one's entirely from her perspective.**

* * *

They held the ceremony in the backyard, in between the blossoming white roses and the gentle emerald boughs of the forest. Tai and Qrow had done most of the work – set-up, chairs, getting all of the guests together. There hadn't been many requests or ideas. Nora had quietly approached Tai and asked for water lillies, and Ruby, Bella, and Pyrrha had gone into the woods to the lily pond to find them. Now, the white flowers bobbed back and forth gently in glass kitchen bowls, marking the quiet aisle leading to the grassy area at the front.

Now, Pyrrha gently walked down the aisle, her black dress rippling in the wind. She held one hand out to each side, levitating the two carved wood coffins behind her by their handles. Behind the coffins, Nora and Jaune's father, Nicholas Arc, walked side by side, holding Crocea Mors and Stormflower. Bowing deeply when she reached the table, Pyrrha slid the coffins down side by side. Nicholas and Nora leaned each weapon against the respective coffin, before the living members of Team JNPR joined Jaune's mom, Juniper, in a row of chairs set out behind the table.

Team WBYRV sat together in the front row. Bella and Weiss both leaned on Ruby, whose single eye was closed in silent contemplation. Blake and Yang's hands were intertwined, but Yang stared blankly at the forest, leaving Blake caught between her girlfriend and the rest of her team. Behind them, Team STRQ were having a hushed discussion. In the third row, Glynda looked dead on her feet, ignoring Port, Oobleck, and the professor that taught Ren's elective, meditation and aura control. In the back, some of the other hunters-in-training had showed up too – namely Sun and Neptune. Team CVFY hadn't been able to attend; Fox's funeral was in Vacuo, and they wouldn't return until next week.

On the other side of the aisle, six of Jaune's sisters sat together. An older girl with a coral-tipped ponytail sat stoically as a tiny girl with a pixie cut clung to her arm. Beside the eldest, two girls roughly Jaune's age held onto each other – one sobbing, the other with a scowl. In the row behind them, the two twins sat silently, as if unsure of exactly what had occurred. Qrow had told them the Arc family had been easy enough to track down, barely fifteen miles southeast of Vale, and they had had no idea that Jaune was at Beacon. When they learned his body had been incinerated, they agreed to travel to Patch for the funeral. His eldest sister, Saffron, lived in Argus on Anima and hadn't been able to attend.

Pyrrha couldn't help but look from Glynda to the Arcs, intense guilt burning in her stomach, and wonder what she could possibly say to them. _I know Jaune's last words. I know Amber's last words. Your son sacrificed himself to save me. I have all of your fiancee's memories in my head and I don't know what to do. I'm so, so, so sorry._

Instead she said nothing. Nora, still mad at her, was silently brooding to her left, and Nicholas was whispering to Juniper to her right. What could she say? How could anything she said make this nightmare any better?

Glynda caught her staring and met her eyes. Pyrrha looked away.

 _Jaune/_ _Glynda_ _was kissing her and_ _saying, "I'll always protect you, remember?/Maybe this time you're the one who needs protection!" and she-_

Pyrrha squeezed her eyes shut, fighting to keep her polarity, her maiden's powers, and her emotions under control at the same time. _I can't, I can't lose control. If I do, Cinder will get back into my head. Not today, it can't happened today, it won't happen today._

Taking a deep breath, she crushed the tiny flame in her hand and waited for the ceremony to begin.

There was no priest; the temple was far too busy desperately trying to identify the dead in the city to do a proper funeral. Instead, Tai rose to his feat and made his way to the podium. He pulled a scrap of paper out of his pocket and cleared his throat.

"Um, hello everyone," he began, surveying the small crowd. "I'm Taiyang Xiao-Long, father of Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao-Long. We're here today to remember the lives of Lie Ren and Jaune Arc, two of the bravest young hunters I ever had the chance to meet. Up here we have some of their friends, who are going to speak about them."

Tai bowed his head and returned to his seat. Nora stiffened besides Pyrrha, her eyes going wide as if realizing she would have to speak for the first time. The fear and panic in her eyes made Pyrrha want to cry; neither were emotions she had ever seen in Nora before. Reaching out, she placed a hand on Nora's shoulder. "You can do this." Nora looked at her, then shakily nodded and made her way to the podium.

The redhead stood before the crowd, her fingers wrapping white around the edge of the podium, then began to speak. "Um, hi. My- my name is Nora Valkyrie, and I'm going to talk about my- my best friend, my family, Lie Ren."

Ruby gave Nora a sad smile from the audience, and Weiss nodded in encouragement. Nora took a deep breath, staring at Ren's coffin and trying to gather the words to say.

"This is really hard," Nora finally admitted, almost too quietly for the audience to hear. "I don't know what I'm doing. I've been with Ren since I was really little, after his parents were killed by Grimm in Anima. We were both orphans, but we had _each other_. He was always calm, and he helped me not be afraid all the time. Once we were together, I never wanted him to feel sad. He got sad so easily, right after we started traveling. I could be happy for him. I could be happy for _me_. Now that he's gone, I- I don't..."

Pyrrha bowed her head, a rogue tear escaping one eye. _I never knew that. I never knew anything about where they were from._ It was a gut punch, and Pyrrha desperately wished Jaune could be at her side to comfort her.

Nora regained her composure, lifting her head high to look out at the audience. "Ren was one of the smartest, strongest, most compassionate, and amazing people I have ever met!" she exclaimed, desperate strength bleeding into her voice. "He was _always_ helping people, especially when other people never would, and he never wanted gratitude. Other people would come up and thank me _for_ him, sometimes. He cared, always."

"Ren didn't have any family left, but I know his parents would be happy if they knew how far he had come. We were alone for a long time, but at Beacon we both made real friends. Jaune was Ren's best friend besides me-" Nora paused, bowing her head. "And Pyrrha and Team WBYR, you're all awesome and Ren was so lucky to have you. Thank you."

Stepping down from the podium, Nora returned to her seat. Pyrrha hesitated – she and Nora had never really resolved their argument from the day after the attack – then decided her teammate was more important and pulled Nora into a tight hug. The redhead stiffened for a moment, then hugged Pyrrha back and whispered, "Thank you."

"That was perfect," Pyrrha whispered back.

She had known when they started planning the funeral that she wouldn't be able to speak and keep both her maiden powers and Cinder under control. Watching Weiss walk up to the podium in her stead was physically painful. The heiress looked out of place in her black ankle-length dress. Coarse fire painfully filled her chest; aura was the only way to keep her maiden's powers under control and even after a decade of training her aura control, Pyrrha still barely could keep a hold on her new powers. She needed a teacher, but had nobody to go to; Ozpin was dead, and she didn't have a clue where any of the other maidens were. A cold rational part of her mind whispered that even if Qrow or the other adults knew where another maiden was, they wouldn't tell her. She was a liability. At any moment, Cinder could assault her and rip into her memories. Salem already knew perfectly well where she was – Pyrrha refused to give her a free ticket to another maiden.

Two weeks were not enough to teach herself to control millennium-old magic. So, instead of eulogizing the most important person in her life, she had asked Weiss to do it for her, and it _hurt._

Weiss reached the podium and sighed. "Good morning and greetings professors, friends, family members. My name is Weiss Schnee, and I am the leader of Team WBYR."

There were a few murmurs among the Arc family when she said her name. Weiss watched them hesitantly for a moment, then continued. "Jaune Arc was more than just the leader of our partner team, Team JNPR, to me. He was also a classmate, a hard-working fighter, and an _excellent_ friend. I'll be the first to admit the first time I talked to Jaune I was a bit… skeptical. But one of the things that I've learned about being a leader is that it's not about command or authority, it's all about trust. You've got to trust your team, and they've got to trust you back. A certain professor here helped me learn that."

Professor Port puffed out his chest proudly in the audience.

Weiss shot Pyrrha an uncertain look. Pyrrha bit her lip and tried not to cry, but nodded for her to continue. "See, the thing is, Jaune never needed anyone to teach him how to be a great leader. He knew it all naturally: the tactics, the teamwork, even how to make good friends with his team right out the bat. Once he got some confidence behind him in the second semester-" Everybody except the Arcs turned to look at Pyrrha, who withdrew further into herself. "-he was one of the best leaders in our year."

"Anyways, when we met Jaune, he was an uncertain kid who didn't know how to lift a sword. Just a few months later, he was a confident, powerful fighter and leader. We all loved Jaune, and to me he felt a bit like the brother I wish I had." Weiss sighed, looking over the crowd. "Well, um, thank you, everybody, for coming out to remember our friends and teammates with us. Thanks to the Arcs for making it up the coast from Notch. Um, Tai, did you want to say something else?"

Tai got to his feet and walked back to the podium. Instead of returning to Team WBYR, Weiss walked straight to Pyrrha and gave her a tight hug. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "You should have been the one to give that speech. It's not fair."

Pyrrha squeezed her eyes shut to stop her corona from flaring to life. "It's not your fault. Blame Cinder."

Weiss' fingers dug into Pyrrha's armor. "We're going to get her out of your head."

"All of us," Nora whispered fiercely, pulling Weiss and Pyrrha into a three way hug. "They're going to pay for killing our friends."

Pyrrha calmed herself down slowly, fighting her inferno back down to a calm blaze. Ruby shot her an encouraging look from the front row. Weiss didn't return to her seat for the rest of the funeral and sat with an arm around Pyrrha and Nora on either side of her.

Other people spoke after Weiss. Glynda gave a long speech about Ren and Jaune as huntsmen, filled with glowing praise and more than a few funny stories about the duo. Professor Port's speech seemed to be more about himself than anybody else, but it was still moving. Neptune spoke briefly about Ren – the two chillest people at Beacon had clicked during the dance, and had been good friends ever since. Finally, Nicholas rose from his wife's side and made his way to the podium.

Silence fell over the crowd as they all watched Jaune's dad. "Jaune was never supposed to become a huntsman," he said, clearing his throat. "My grandfather Grayson Arc was a hero in the Great War, as I'm sure some of you know – he helped create the Vytal Treaty and was a founder of the color naming convention. My family has always been hunters and huntresses – my eldest daughter Coral graduated from Beacon some years ago, and Hazel and Jade have been training personally with me for quite some time. Ever since he was a young boy, I would tell him the stories of his grandfather and other ancestors, and I would show him this sword-" He waved his hand at Crocea Mors. "-and tell him, 'One day, this sword will be yours.' As my only son, Jaune was always supposed to be the one to carry on the Arc name."

Nicholas bowed his head. "However, when Jaune was seven, he was diagnosed with a rehabilitative genetic disease that severely limited his growth."

Pyrrha froze along with the rest of Team WBYRV and Nora. "What?" Weiss whispered.

"He never told me that," Pyrrha whispered in shock and Weiss hugged her tighter.

"We are so, _so_ lucky that out of all eight of our children, only one received the illness," he continued, his voice thick with emotion, "and without modern medicine and the marvels of tech, Jaune would never have been able to leave a wheelchair. Even with all that, though, he was severely underweight and skinny and couldn't build real muscle mass. After he injured himself in training when he was ten, we-" Nicholas had to take a long moment to compose himself. "We made him stop training to become a hunter, for his own safety."

"Despite that, Jaune was still one of the happiest, funniest kids I've ever known," he continued. "We knew deep down that he would never stop wanting to be a hunter, as much as we hoped he would stay home where he would be safe. He loved his sisters and his home, never took off that awful bunny sweater of his..."

"Hey, don't be mean to the sweater!" one of the girls who looked to be Jaune's age, the one who wasn't crying, said. "He loved Pumpkin Pete! I still have all his stupid posters of her and the bunny all over the walls of our room!" She pointed accusingly at Pyrrha, who blushed and slunk closer to Weiss.

"I like the bunny too, that's why I signed up for the ad," Pyrrha whispered to the heiress, who nodded understandingly.

"I can't believe he had posters of Pyrrha in his room and he _still_ didn't know who she was," Yang muttered to Blake loud enough for the entire audience to hear.

Nicholas rolled his eyes. "Hazel, shush." Hazel rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, where her sister was _still_ crying. The Arc patriarch allowed himself a smile, then his tone turned somber again. "When Jaune disappeared with Crocea Mors, we were so afraid that he had gotten himself killed. I- I'm just glad that he finally got to live his dream, to be a hunter- I just, I- I wish we had never stopped him. I wish I could have trained him." A tear trickled down Nicholas' grizzled cheek, and he wiped it away with a finger. Behind him, Juniper was openly crying. "I'm just glad that my son found true friends and became the hero he longed to be. Thank you, all of you, for being here for him." Bowing his head, he swept off the stage and comforted his wife.

Everyone was silent for a long moment before the funeral began to proceed once more.

Ren was buried by the lily pond, resting next to the flowers he loved so much in life, and Jaune's empty coffin at his side. Pyrrha, Nora, Weiss, Ruby, Yang, Blake, and Bella stood together, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, as they sang the traditional death hymns for the gods. Crocea Mors and Stormflower set by the grave's side, glittering gently in the shady daylight.

Finally, everyone stepped aside as the gravestone was wheeled in. Nora and Pyrrha picked it up together and set it at the head of the grave. To complete the ceremony, each of them read off one of the names on the stone.

"Lie Ren," Nora said softly, her voice cracking as she gently traced the engraved name on the marble.

Taking deep shuddering breaths, Pyrrha knelt by her side. Pressing her gauntlet to the stone, she closed her eyes to fight the tears leaking out. "Jaune. Jaune Arc."

The mourners trickled away from the pond, returning to the house where food and light remained. Hazel Arc stooped down and brought Crocea Mors with her, as did Nora with Ren's weapons.

By the lily pond, Jaune Arc and Lie Ren rested peacefully in the dappled sunlight, together.

* * *

The Arc family clustered on the other side of the garden from the hunters, quietly talking amongst themselves. Pyrrha watched them from under a tree, forcibly extinguishing the fire that was threatening to escape from her palm to the rest of her body against her thigh. It didn't burn her, only tickled enough to be noticeable.

 _They're going to hate you, you know. You're the one that killed their precious son Jaune._ Cinder's voice reverberated in her mind, hollow. The mental strain had been too much to keep her out and not accidentally burn Taiyang's house down. _Why does it even matter, Pyrrha Nikos? If you try to talk to them, you'll just snap and even more death will be on your hands._

Pyrrha shut her eyes and pressed her head into the bark. The discomfort helped her form her own thoughts. _Shut up_ _, Audrey._

 _My name is Cinder Fall!_

 _Maybe I'd believe it if you didn't react like that every time._

 _So why don't you talk to them, then? What are you afraid of?_

Vale was burning. She was burning. Jaune was nothing but ash.

The tree shook as she slammed her polarity-powered fist against it, a small shockwave rocking everything metal within her sight. She summoned every ounce of her loathing for Audrey and shoved it down the bond, and she felt Cinder stagger in her dark corner of Salem's mansion. _At least I'm not locked up like a caged dog,_ she snarled, then slammed her aura down over the bond before Cinder could respond. The headache came like whiplash; the echoes of Cinder's furious scream seemed to echo around her, fire raking her weakened mental shields.

 _I have to be strong, I have to be strong, I have to be strong…_

She was Pyrrha Nikos, the invincible girl. She didn't lose, _especially_ to herself.

 _You lost against Cinder._

"Pyrrha?" Nora had run over from Sun and Neptune to her side in concern. "What's happening? Is it _her_?"

Pyrrha pushed off of the tree and walked away from her teammate. _I have to talk to them before Audrey comes back._ "I'm fine," she said curtly, throwing Nora a thin smile that never reached her eyes. "I have to talk to the Arcs."

Nora narrowed her eyes and ran after her. Pyrrha tried to speed up, but she caught her wrist. "Then I'm coming with you."

Wrenching her wrist free, Pyrrha mumbled, "I have to do this alone."

Before she could keep moving, Nora had moved in front of her. "Bullshit," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"But he was my-"

"He was my teammate too," Nora snapped. For the first time, Pyrrha saw the agitation in her eyes. "I promised I would protect you-"

"That was in the vault," she protested.

"Then I'll do it now." Nora drew herself up to her full height, her blue eyes more fiery than the Fall Maidens. "Pyrrha Nikos, I swear that I'll protect you at all costs, no matter what happens. I won't let you do this alone, I won't let you face _her_ alone, and I won't let you push me away when you need me the most!"

The finality of her declaration resonated, lingering in the air as her teammate held her stare, defiant. Pyrrha took a step backward and looked down, gaping as she searched for words. _At all costs…_ "Nora-"

Nora stepped forward and took her hands, forcing them to lock eyes again. "No." Pyrrha stiffened in surprise – Nora's hands were trembling, and her face sung fear and grief, but she refused to drop her gaze. "They're gone, Pyr," she whispered fiercely. "But I'm not. We're a _team_ , no matter what happens. It was your choice to take these powers, and it was _our_ choice to protect you and them. This is our mission, now and for as long as you're the maiden. I won't give it up now. _We_ won't give it up now. We can't let stupid arguments divide us, not right now. We can deal with Ruby later."

"Nora," Pyrrha whispered. She took a deep breath, fighting to keep her emotions in and failing. The hint of red haze began to rise, her mind spinning from thought to fear as her eyes started to burn.  
"I can't… I can't… I-"

Nora hugged her as tightly as possible. "He's gone, Pyrrha," she whispered, desolate. "He's gone. You and Weiss are all I have left." Her voice shook, and she dug her fingers under her armor. "You're all that I have left. Please… I can't lose you now."

"All that I have left," Pyrrha repeated numbly, and the tension flooded out of her body. The maiden's aura vanished, and she sagged in Nora's embrace. "Nora…" She trembled, hanging her head, the world watering in her eyes. "Nora, he's gone. I read his name, we did the rites, he's… he's really gone."

"I know," Nora whispered as Pyrrha started to cry for the first time since the battle. "I… I'm so sorry."

 _He promised me._

It took a long time for Pyrrha to calm down. Her maiden powers almost flared twice, but she and Nora managed to force it back down both times. Finally, she was calm enough to shakily let go of Nora. Unable to conjure a smile, she said, "Thank you."

Nora nodded, offering her the smile she couldn't give, and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, let's go find Jaune's family," she said, then pulled her towards the house.

Everyone had left the backyard and moved into the house while Pyrrha was having her meltdown. As they stepped into the kitchen, all of the adults save for Jaune's parents had gathered around the table and were having an intense conversation. Tai immediately broke off and wrapped Pyrrha up into a tight hug, which she returned after a moment. When he let her go, he caught her eyes for a moment, then turned back to the conversation.

"The rebuilding effort is a joke," Qrow was saying as Pyrrha and Nora joined the conversation for a moment.

Raven scowled at her brother. "Of course it's a joke, it's been less than a week since Salem dropped an entire fleet on Vale! They haven't even finished finding the dead, forget resurrecting an entire city."

Professor Port looked to Glynda with a questioning expression. "What news is there of Beacon?" he asked. "I must admit, this is the first moment of rest Bartholomew and I have taken all week, so we are uninformed with all power down of everything but what's happening in the city."

Glynda nodded heavily. "The council has named me Headmistress with Ozpin gone. The damage isn't that bad in the school – only Ozpin's tower and the main entrance sustained any real damage. We _will_ hold classes in September, the only question will be how many people we get."

"You don't have to worry about that," Qrow growled. "The council's already started planning a draft. There's going to be an army before this year is over, the kingdom's lost too much not to be prepared. There'll be more first-year hunters this year than since the Great War began. Are you ready for that, Glynda?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Am I ready to lead a kingdom to war? Of fucking course I'm not, are you insane?"

"Are you sure it's going to be a war?" The speaker was the second eldest Arc sister, the one with a pink streak in her hair.

"We can never be certain, Coral," Professor Oobleck responded to her, "but knowing the history of our world… The Great War was only eighty years ago, and this was a direct attack on Vale's sovereignty by Atlas. We are doing everything we can to prevent it, but it may be inevitable."

Coral closed her eyes and tilted her head towards her former professor. "If we are truly headed towards a second Great War, the hunters will become generals again. I-" She turned to Glynda. "May I inform my team and other yearmates? It's been four years since we graduated, but we're still in touch. They deserve to know if we're going to have to fight."

Glynda sighed. "Of course, Ms. Arc. We can use as much communication as we can get."

"I don't like this," Tai said, crossing his arms. "I don't like this at all."

Qrow gave him a sad look. "None of us do, Tai."

Glynda, Coral, and the professors nodded in agreement.

Pyrrha had heard enough. Pulling away from the conversation, she started to walk away, Nora quickly falling in next to her. Her suffering was pushed aside for a moment as her mind spun with everything she had just learned. "War?" she whispered to Nora.

"Professor Oobleck said there might not be one?" she whispered back uncertainly.

The two girls unconsciously drew closer together as they stepped into the living room. The Arcs had taken over the room. Nicholas and Juniper sat together on the armchair, their youngest daughter cuddled between them. Hazel and the sister that had been crying sat together silently in the armchair, and the two younger sisters had gone outside to play. Nora nudged Pyrrha as they walked up to the two parents. Pyrrha took a deep breath and said, "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Arc."

Juniper gave them a wan smile. "You two were the readers, weren't you?" she asked. "You were friends of my son, call us Juniper and Nicholas."

"We were Jaune's teammates," Nora interjected. "And Pyrrha was his, um, partner."

Pyrrha looked down as Nicholas scrutinized her. "I'm sorry for your loss," she mumbled, fighting to keep her composure. Breaking down would be bad, but showing her powers in front of them would be even worse.

"Our loss. You're Pyrrha Nikos," Nicholas said kindly. "We would never have imagined Jaune could have ended up partnering with such a famous huntress. He really did get to live his dream..."

She could see the good intentions and grief behind what he was saying, but she still cringed deeply, resentment and self-loathing creeping up. "He didn't know who I was when we met," she mumbled, "and we were dating when he..."

Nicholas and Juniper exchanged a look, then Juniper rose to her feet and hugged her. "I'm sorry," the Arc matriarch whispered. "We had no idea. We had no idea he was so close to home. I mean, Coral went to Beacon. Hazel's going in the fall, I-"

"You were dating Jaune?" a voice exclaimed from behind them. Hazel frowned as her older sister leaned forward intently. She wore the same black dress as the rest of the family, with a blue headband and big round glasses. "How long?"

Pyrrha turned as Juniper let go of her. "Five months."

The girl laughed harshly, her words twisting with resentment. "How the hell did _Jaune_ pick up _  
Pyrrha fucking Nikos?_ "

Nicholas shot to his feet. "Sapphire, that's enough!" he commanded. "If you can't handle yourself, you can leave and spend the rest of the day in Patch!"

Sapphire sneered at her father. "Is she why Jaune never tried getting back in touch with us? Maybe I will leave, it's not like this stupid ceremony's going to bring him back anyways." Pulling away from Hazel, she stormed out of the house.

Juniper glared at her daughter until she was out of sight, then turned back to Pyrrha apologetically. "Forgive her, please. She and Jaune were always the closest in age and the closest to home. They were inseparable until right before Jaune left, when he started getting more distant. When he didn't leave anything but a note, she… she took it the hardest."

"It was my fault." Nicholas, Juniper, and Hazel all looked at her as tears started trickling down her face again. "I was… given something that made me a target for… for certain powerful people. I was supposed to protect it alone if there was ever an emergency but my team… they followed me, and now half of our team is dead."

Before the Arcs could react, Nora angrily burst in. "That's not true, Pyrrha!" she exclaimed. "We _chose_ to follow you, not the other way around. Jaune was a _hero_." She turned to his parents. "Cinder Fall had her sword to Pyrrha's throat and Jaune sacrificed himself to give her time to save the world. He was a hero, and none of it was Pyrrha's fault. Jaune, Ren, and I chose this, nobody else."

"Pyrrha." She looked up at Jaune's dad, wiping tears from her face. "We don't blame you."

Juniper nodded. "We meant what Nicholas said in his speech. We- Jaune leaving and dying is one of the worst things that's ever happened to us, but he got to live his dream that we always told him was impossible. We- we thought he had just been killed by Grimm, which was why he hadn't written. To know he was a hero… It means the world, to us."

"But-"

Nicholas shook his head. "Please don't apologize to us, Pyrrha. All we ask is that maybe you two could come have dinner with us sometime." A glimmer of amusement shone in his eye. "We have all kind of embarrassing stories about Coral from Beacon. Now that we know Jaune attended Beacon too..."

Nora snickered. "Oh, have I got some stories for you..."

Nodding, Pyrrha said, "I guess, if you really mean it, I wouldn't mind that."

"Wonderful." Juniper sat back down next to her youngest child, who had watched the whole conversation in quiet confusion. Smiling down at her child, she said to her, "Don't worry, Amber, Mommy didn't forget that you're here."

Her baby cooed at her, and Pyrrha went cold.

 _Amber._

 _The vault Glynda Cinder Fire Jaune dying dying dying dy-_

Noting her teammate's distraction, Nora squeezed her hand. "We're both sorry for your loss," she said quietly, earning nods from the parents. "C'mon, Pyrrha, I think I heard WBYR upstairs."

Pyrrha let Nora lead her away. A stab of intense guilt rocked her as she caught a glimpse of Glynda's golden hair through the walkway to the kitchen. Before they could ascend the stairs, a voice behind them commanded, "Stop."

Amber Arc stood at the bottom of the stairs, casually holding Crocea Mors at an angle. Before Pyrrha could speak, she cut her off. "What were you to Jaune?"

Pyrrha lowered her gaze. "I… He was my first friend, my partner, and my boyfriend. He was the most important person in my life."

"He died for you." She flinched, and Amber climbed two steps towards her. "I don't care if you're Pyrrha Nikos. My older brother is dead because of you." She pointed Crocea at her, cold and calculated anger filling her eyes. "The Arc family sword was never Jaune's. Coral didn't want it, so it passed down to _me_."

Before Pyrrha could react, Nora stood between the two and drew Stormflower from her side. Ren's weapon clicked as she cocked the chamber. "What do you want?" she hissed back.

Hazel took another step up, seizing up the duo. "Clearly your _boyfriend_ never told you anything about his family. Coral is eight years older than me and does her own thing. The twins are younger and do their own thing. Saffron doesn't even live on Sanus anymore. Hell, Amber never even met Jaune. Me, Jaune, and Sapphire were all two years apart from each other." She smirked bitterly. "Sapphire and Jaune were inseparable. He was always sick and had to stay inside, and she was always more interested in her science and video games than anything else. Jaune leaving destroyed Sapphire, and now that he's dead she'll probably never be functional again."

Nora frowned, Stormflower dropping slightly in her grasp. Pyrrha stared at the two glassily behind them. "I'm… sorry."

"I was their protector." Hazel lifted Crocea slightly, admiring the blade. "I am the inheritor of the Arc line. Coral wanted to protect people, never to lead. I was the one who trained every day. I was the one who studied my great-grandfather's journals, who got coaching from my dad, who kept my older siblings alive at school. Jaune took that from me. He didn't understand why he couldn't be the hero, and our family fell apart. Now he's dead, and I have Crocea back again."

"You didn't answer my question," Nora snapped, and she shook her hair out and casually gestured her to the side with her sword.

"I don't care about you," Hazel snarled, shouldering past Nora so she could look at Pyrrha. "Pyrrha Nikos, you said Jaune was the most important person in your life. Prove it."

"I don't understand," Pyrrha said, staring at the girl before her. The similarities to Jaune were overwhelming, but there was an underlying fire and purpose she knew her partner had never carried.

"I challenge you to a fight." Hazel eyed her up and down. "My brother sacrificed his life for _you_. I need to know why."

"I can't fight now," Pyrrha whispered, feeling Cinder's presence slowly trickle back in through her mental barriers.

"Well, I'm going to be a first year at Beacon in the fall," Hazel said. "You can stall until then, but I _will_ avenge my brother's death. I just need to know if you're the one I have to kill or the 'Cinder' person who turned him into dust."

Before Pyrrha could respond, she had whipped around, straw-colored ponytail swaying behind her as she swept back into the living room. The front door slammed shut behind her.

Pyrrha and Nora stared at each other in shock. "What just happened?" Nora asked.

"I think I just got a formal challenge from Jaune's sister," Pyrrha replied quietly. They stared at each other for another long moment. "If Jaune meant this much to his sisters, why did he never talk about them?"

"I don't know, Pyrrha. I really don't know."

* * *

Moonlight reflected off the glassy water of the lily bowls, which rested along the edge of the back porch. Pyrrha had let her hair down hours earlier. Somehow, her armor had felt heavy, the weight bearing down on her shoulders until she had no choice but to cast it off in favor of the simple loose black dress she had worn during the funeral. It wasn't cut like her dress for the dance had been at all; rather, it was airy, younger, as if holding some lost innocence too broken to carry within any longer.

 _He's really gone._

"Pyrrha?"

She looked back; Ruby stood in the doorway, her silvery mark gleaming beneath her raven hair. "Ruby," Pyrrha murmured. She hadn't spoken properly to her best friend since the attack. Maybe it was Jaune, maybe it was Bella, but there was a divide that hadn't been there before.

"Are you… okay?"

"Not really."

Ruby hesitated, her fingers curling around the edge of the wooden frame. Pyrrha stared at the lilies, then inclined her head at the spot between her and the flowers. Ruby quickly walked over and sat down, pulling her arms to her chest. Catching her glance, the younger huntress frowned. "Bella's asleep already. It's just me, Pyr."

Pyrrha closed her eyes, her heart twisting at the mention of Bella. Every relationship in her life had been thrown into doubt. Why hadn't Ruby told her about Bella? Why hadn't Jaune told her about his family? Why hadn't Nora told her about her past? "That wasn't what I- what I was thinking, Ruby. I- I trust you."

Ruby's eye widened. "Oh."

A thin cloud cut the moon in two, the forest swaying in the breeze. "I lost," Pyrrha whispered. "I lost the most important battle of my life, and Jaune and Ren are dead because of it. I was the invincible girl. I've never lost a real battle before now. It's my fault. If I hadn't gotten distracted… If I had just delivered the killing blow..."

"Pyrrha..."

"You were right." Pyrrha tilted her head back to stare at the night sky. "You told me that I would kill our friends. You told me that some things were worth killing for, and now Jaune and Ren are dead because of me." Red flame drifted from her eyes, turning the moon above her a bloody scarlet. "Was it worth it?"

"I'm sorry."

"That's not an answer, Ruby."

"Then what do you want me to say?"

Pyrrha clenched her fist to quench the flame spilling in her palm. "Anything but that."

Pulling her hair behind her ear, Ruby ran her hand over her metallic skin, tracing the dead groove between her frozen orb and her cheek. "We all lost something," she murmured. "If I hadn't gone after Harkan, he would have gotten away. Instead, he's captured and can't hurt anyone else. If you hadn't defeated Cinder, she could have destroyed Beacon, or the CCT, or she could have gone into the city and just started destroying Vale. We did everything we possibly could, and because of us, tons of people are still alive. That's why we're hunters. That's why we were at Beacon in the first place."

"But is it worth it?" Pyrrha let the fire fade away, letting the moon shine pale once more. "What's the point in saving the world if we lose what matters most about it?"

"I..." Ruby's hand fell from her face to the silver rose emblem at her belt. "I don't know."

Neither did Pyrrha.

"While- while you were unconscious, Nora and I had a fight over you."

"Huh?"

"She blames you for Jaune and Ren. She thinks you could have stopped the attack." Slowly getting to her feet, Pyrrha's black dress spilled off her knees, the edge trailing in one of the lily bowls. "I defended you. I told her you would protect me with your life." Pyrrha looked up at the moon with a bitter smile. "She said Jaune did protect me with his life. All of you fought to _protect_ something, except me. All I've ever fought for is to win."

"That's not-"

"Pyrrha Nikos. Pyrrhic victory. My name, my destiny." Pyrrha held her hand out to one side, letting a ball of flame come to life. "I can't lose, even if it means everything around me going down in flames. Losing is the end. Losing a battle as a huntress means death."

Ruby's boots hit the deck as she got to her feet. "Pyrrha."

"Jaune should have let me die."

"You can't say that," Ruby whispered.

"But it's true."

"YOU CAN'T!"

"Then what am I supposed to think?!" The fireball flew from Pyrrha's hand and exploded in the middle of the Xiao-Long backyard. Ruby's eyes widened, but Pyrrha was facing her with blazing eyes. "It was _my_ fight and _my_ burden! Fighting Cinder was suicide! If they hadn't followed me, then they would still be alive! What am I supposed to believe, that the most important people in my life were destined to die because of me?!"

"You told them to come with you! They chose to follow you!" Ruby stood her ground, and Pyrrha backed away from her into the blaze flickering to life in the yard. "They fought to protect _you_ , Pyrrha! You can't just take that away from them!"

"They shouldn't have!"

Something in Ruby's expression broke, and she stalked down the stairs. "You know what?" she snarled. "They did, and now they're _dead_ because they valued _your_ life more than their own! Because of them, we're still alive and Cinder hasn't won yet! You can't just take that away from them!"

"SHUT UP!"

Pyrrha lashed her hand out, and a burst of fire crashed into Ruby's side and launched her into the stairs of the porch. The lily bowls shattered under the intense heat, water cascading down the steps, and the fragile flowers Ren had loved so much withered to blackened crisps. The ringing in Pyrrha's ears faded, and she realized Ruby was screaming.

 _What did I do?_

Ruby's aura flickered weakly, having absorbed most of the blow, but her left arm was bent beneath her at an awkward angle. _Broken_ , her mind supplied. _I just broke Ruby's arm._

A blur shot out of the house and Pyrrha barely had time to form a makeshift shield before Bella had her sword against it, eyes flashing deadly pink. The shield shattered into ash – a fragment bit through her dress and set it on fire. She stumbled backwards into the fire, and the blaze licked at her arms like cool wind. Bella stared at her in horror, illusions spiraling around her, unable to attack her again. _"_ _What the fuck did you do to her?"_ Bella's illusion read in jagged text before shattering.

"Pyrrha!" Weiss ran down the burning steps as Tai and Nora picked Ruby up and pulled her into the house. Wielding Myrtenaster, the heiress shot a blast of ice dust to put the fire on the porch out, then spun back around to confront her. "Pyrrha, please, you have to put the fire out! You're going to burn the house and the woods down!"

Pyrrha's eyes flickered around rapidly, and she fought to keep herself from hyperventilating. "I can't! I don't know how!"

"Fuck." Weiss sprinted towards the garage, which the flames were dangerously close to engulfing, and quenched the inferno with another round of ice. "Please, just try to calm down, okay?"

Pyrrha spun, trying to watch Weiss as she ran between her and the forest and shot more dust into the fire. "I hurt Ruby!"

"Yeah, and you're going to hurt somebody else if you can't get your powers under control!" Weiss yelled back. Stopping short, the heiress dropped to one knee and stuck her sword into the ground. A black glyph appeared under her feet, and she yelped as her feet left the ground and she slowly started to drift into the air, burning particles of grass levitating around her. "Anti-gravity glyph. The fire shouldn't be able to spread now."

She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe.

And then, she couldn't control her powers.

Her panic attack turned into a scream, and fire exploded outwards only to be held in place by Weiss' glyph, creating a column of fire in the air. Sweat beaded on Weiss' forehead as she fought with all her might to keep her glyph from breaking.

"Pyrrha!"

Pyrrha turned through her haze to see Ruby watching her in fear, arm hanging limply at her side. Scorch marks covered her chest, and a patch of burnt flesh was exposed on her bad shoulder. Bella stood at her side, illusions spiraling around her uncontrollably, sword pointed at Pyrrha. Ruby was restraining her from attacking Pyrrha with her good hand, wincing with every motion. Behind her, Nora cowered on the porch, and Tai knelt next to her ready to bolt. _I've lost myself,_ she realized faintly. _I have nothing left to hold onto._

"Please, don't do this," Ruby pleaded, her single eye brimming with tears. "Please calm down. I'm okay, I promise. Just… let us help you."

Weiss' glyph flickered dangerously, and a gout of flame shot off to one side. On the porch, Nora squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable.

"Please," Ruby whispered.

 _Is this what Jaune would have wanted?_

 _"Please, Pyrrha," she could imagine him saying. "Just come down, okay? We can figure this out, it's going to be alright."_

Closing her eyes, Pyrrha stopped trying to fight Weiss and let her powers fall away, floating limply in the sky. Weiss smiled and said, "Oh, good," then keened over, unconscious. The glyph broke and Pyrrha tumbled unceremoniously to the ground.

Everything was silent for a moment, then Tai ran to Weiss' side and checked her pulse. "Aura exhaustion. She'll be fine, she just needs sleep."

 _She saved everybody else._

 _Weiss saved them from me._

Pyrrha pushed herself up off the ground, legs folded over each other in the scorched dirt. Bella took a threatening step forwards only for Ruby to pull her back, eyes full of concern. Nora stared at her in abject fear from the porch, one of the scorched lilies cradled in her hands. _We collected those for her,_ Pyrrha numbly told herself. _We collected those for Ren, and I destroyed them._

Nora was looking at her with the same expression she had looked at Cinder after the other maiden had killed Jaune.

 _I'm no better than Cinder._

Pyrrha staggered to her feet, her black dress rising in ashy tatters, and met Ruby's eyes. "I'm sorry."

Then, she turned and disappeared into the woods, leaving her friends behind.

* * *

Lillies bobbed peacefully in the shady forest pond. The night breeze made ripples across the placid water, distorting the clear sky above. Pyrrha knelt before the gravestone, her bare knees digging into the freshly turned loam. Deep sobs racked her chest as she stared Jaune's name on the gravestone, unable to stem the emotions once her floodgates had been opened. She had forced them down after the attack, fighting with all her might to keep everything under control, to stay perfect, but raw grief bit deeper than Cinder's arrow in her heel.

 _Pyrrha and Jaune embraced each other, crying in the silhouetted tunnel in the stadium._ _"If I don't die, I still might lose my identity, my, my soul, my aura," she had told him._ _"I might not know who my parents are. I might not know who you are."_

 _Ruby was right. I told him to come with me. He told me they would do anything to keep me alive. Why couldn't we all have been wrong? Why did they have to be right?_

"I'm sorry," she sobbed to the gravestone. "I'm sorry, Jaune."

Strong arms wrapped around her, and Nora gently wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. "You destroyed your dress, silly," the redhead whispered, reaching out to trace Ren's name under Jaune's.

Pyrrha choked out a laugh. "I destroyed his lillies."

"They're just flowers, Pyr. We can replace them." The _we can't replace you_ went unspoken between them.

"Why are you here?" she asked, trying to calm her breathing down.

"For you," Nora responded simply.

"Why?" Unable to look at the grave any longer, Pyrrha pressed her head into Nora's shoulder, letting her teammate comfort her. "You were afraid of me. You should be afraid of me. I hurt Ruby. Jaune and Ren are dead because of me. I- I don't even know-"

Nora shook her head, pulling the blanket tighter around Pyrrha. "Yeah, you're right. I _was_ afraid, Pyrrha. When I saw you, what you did to Ruby, all I could think about was- was-"

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I promised. I promised I would protect you, no matter what." Nora clenched her fists. "I'm going to kill Cinder. I'll kill her before she touches any of my friends again. And _nothing_ is going to stop me. Not the maiden powers, not some stupid fear, nothing. I promised I'll protect you, just like Ren promised he would protect me, and _you can't make me let that go!_ "

Pyrrha's breath caught in her throat, and her eyes widened. _Just like Ren._ Nora started to cry, digging her knuckles into the blanket, and for the first time Pyrrha understood that Nora was suffering and grieving just as much as she was.

 _Jaune turned back to her, Crocea Mors drawn against Cinder's blazing form. "You've always been the hero, you and Ruby both! Maybe this time you're the one who needs to be protected! Maybe this time you need a hero! You can't fulfill your destiny if you're dead!"_

 _Just like Jaune._

Pyrrha's breath caught in her throat as realization washed over her. _Jaune was my hero… All he ever fought for was to protect me, and I-_

She had never fought for him.

Jaune had fought Ruby on his own and she had supported Ruby. Every time they had been on a date and he had tried to stop fans from coming up to her, only for her to push him away. He had challenged Ruby to a _formal duel_ for hurting her, and she had _walked away_. And now, he had sacrificed herself for her, and she-

"You can't make me let this go," Nora murmured, sinking down to lean against Pyrrha's side.

They cried together for a long time. Clouds drifted over the moon; a loud bullfrog jumped off a nearby lily pad into the pond. Pyrrha let Nora calm her down, let simple fatigue replace the maelstrom of her emotions.

"I need something to fight for," she eventually murmured, and Nora stirred against her.

"What do you mean?"

Pyrrha closed her eyes and tried to find the right words. "You, Jaune, Ren… Everyone else has been fighting to protect something this whole time, everyone but me. I can't just fight to win anymore. If I do, I..." She shook her head. "How am I supposed to fight to win when I've already lost what matters most?"

Nora pulled herself up to a sitting position and smiled at Pyrrha. "Well, that's easy, isn't it? Just fight for us, dummy. If fighting for your friends isn't destinious enough for you-"

"I'm not sure that's a word," Pyrrha deadpanned.

"Sure it is!" Nora said, gently poking her nose. "My point is, you're a maiden now, right? You heard what Qrow and Glynda said – maidens are, like, protectors of humanity! That's something to protect right there. Just, Pyr..."

"What?"

Nora's eyes shone in the moonlight. "You're not alone. You've _never been_ alone. And we're not going to let you fight alone again, no matter what. I don't care if I have to get strong enough to beat you, I won't let Jaune and Ren die in vain. Will you?"

"No!" Pyrrha exclaimed in horror.

"Good. That's all that matters." Nora pushed herself to her feet and extended a hand down to Pyrrha. "C'mon, let's go back, okay? I think you need to put on new clothes."

Pyrrha looked down at her tattered dress, which was _very_ revealing, and blushed, pulling the blanket tighter around her. "Yeah." She let Nora pull her up. "Thank you."

Nora gave her a hopeful smile, then led her back to where the rest of their friends were waiting. Lillies bobbed in their wake, white blossoms opened to the summer sky.

* * *

 **[A/N] Pyrrha gets a POV chapter to herself, and I'm really happy with her and Nora's development. Weiss also proves herself to be the most competent huntress (again) and the best leader (again).**

 **I just wanted to acknowledge that I haven't managed to respond to comments/reviews lately. I know I did for a long time, but it's been really hard keeping up between school and whatnot and I just haven't been getting to it recently. I want everyone to know that your comments/reviews mean the world to me, and are my motivation to sit down and spend 30 odd hours writing every chapter. Thank you, thank you, thank you, both to the people who've been around since chapter one and everyone who followed in the past two weeks. Boops for everyone.**

 **I'll be in Japan over Christmas and New Years, so no chapter that weekend. I should get a chapter out next weekend, but if not, have a happy holidays everyone!**

 **Much love, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 12/22/18**


	34. V4 - Passage

Volume Four, Chapter Four: Passage

* * *

re:Bound

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 1/29/18

Beta: Vixie

* * *

The rickety wooden sign to Patch's best bar, The Yodeling Beowulf, creaked as it blew in the midday summer wind. The building was an old brick establishment with chipped white shutters and broken glass in the daisies, far from the family-friendly town center. The residents of Patch rarely visited the bar; it was mainly reserved for loudmouth Atlesian sailors, a few mainstay drunkards, and active-duty huntsmen.

Bella sighed as she leaned against the wall next to the door, playing one of Ruby's video games on her scroll under an invisibility illusion. She wasn't a stranger to shady bars – Roman spent way too much time in the seedy side of the industrial district, conducting business deals and thefts. She didn't drink, ever. Alcohol left a bad taste in her mouth, for one, and she didn't need more external factors controlling her than she already had. _Never thought I'd be back at a place like this again._

Finally, the door swung open, and one very drunk Qrow Branwen stumbled out, shielding his eyes from the sun. Bella watched him, unimpressed, then glanced down at her scroll. _It's eleven, and he's already blackout drunk. Why am I doing this again?_

 _Ruby. It's for Ruby, not for you_ , she reminded herself. _I can do this._

Sighing, Bella pushed off the wall and dropped her illusion. Qrow groaned and spun around when she put a hand on his shoulder, but she cut him off before he could say anything. {Uncle Qrow, we need to talk.}

Qrow threw her hand off and thrust his hands into his pockets. "No, we don't," he slurred, then started walking away again.

{Yes, we do.}Bella ran forward and put herself between Qrow and the road home, leaning forwards and pointing a finger at her lips. {Just because I can't talk to you properly doesn't mean we aren't going to have this conversation. Now come with me or I'm going to drag you.}

"I'm not your uncle."

Bella rolled her eyes and grabbed his collar. {Nope, that's not how that works. C'mon, let's go.}

Fifteen minutes later (and a lot of swearing, a few felled trees, two flowerbeds, and a rather unfortunate incident involving a cat and a bowl of pasta), Qrow and Bella sat on a nice park bench, the former trying to pick potted soil off his cape and the latter with a wild grin on her face. "Y'know, you didn't have to hit so hard, kid," Qrow grumbled, glaring at his dirty cape.

Bella's grin deepened. {Oh, I definitely did.}

"You're crazy."

{I get it from Mom.}

Qrow scowled and muttered something unintelligible about Raven and portals.

{Look, Uncle Qrow.}

"I'm not your uncle."

{No, Uncle Qrow.}

"I'm-"

Bella jumped to her feet and stepped in front of Qrow, forcing him to look up at her. Her pure pink eyes were steely, and the slight flicker of illusion played at the edges of her person. {Look. This has to stop now.}

"I don't know what you're talking about."

{Don't play stupid with me.}Qrow looked away, scowling, but Neo's illusory words followed him. {Qrow. Look at me.}

"What do you want, _Neopolitan_?" Reaching into his shirt, Qrow pulled out his flask and fumbled with the cap, too drunk to properly unscrew it.

 _That's it._ Eyes flashing, Neo knocked the flask away before Qrow could drink from it, and he cried out in alarm when it landed in a nearby bush, ochre liquid dribbling out of the open mouth. {Leave it. You're already drunk enough as it is.}

"You don't know me."

{You're hurting Ruby.}

"I'm-"

{Uncle Qrow.}

"I'm not your uncle."

{I said, you're hurting-}

Qrow shattered the illusion with a loose blow, rising to his feet unsteadily and clenching his fist. Bella shrank back on the bench when he spun around and glared at her. "Stop. That's enough, okay? Don't you think you've ruined my life enough as it is? Why can't you just leave me and _my_ family alone?"

{Your family? Do you even understand how family works?}

Eyes narrowing, Qrow clenched a fist. "Move."

{I won't, not until you talk to me!}Bella took a step closer to Qrow, close enough that she could taste the whiskey on his breath. {I said you're hurting Ruby!}

"And I said to leave me alone!"

Qrow's hands slammed into Bella's chest, sending her staggering away from him, barely keeping her balance. For a moment, they simply stood there and stared at each other, waiting. Qrow's breath came in deep heaves, the cloudiness of alcohol lifting from his eyes for a brief moment.

{Why?}

"What?"

Bella sighed, sweeping a loose strand of pink hair out of her eyes. {Why do you hate me?}

"Bad luck." Qrow met her eyes for a second then looked away. "That's all I've ever been, bad luck. Father knew that. He knew I was holding the tribe back – no, he knew what Raven could, did become. Half of the reason we were sent to Beacon was to get _me_ away from the tribe, not for Raven. Ozpin gave me a reason to fight, a place where my luck was a skill, not a curse, but I never wanted to leave the tribe. _Never."_

 _So that's what this is about._ Bella took a step forwards, tilting her head slightly. {Raven's been offering to take you back in for years, you know that.}

A harsh laugh. "I know where I'm not welcome."

Bella crossed her arms and raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Qrow. {Does what Raven say just pass through that bird-brain of yours, or do you actually not care?}

"What do you know?" Qrow snapped. "I fought for our team on the front lines of a war to save humanity while she was going around Anima murdering people! Then, I get back and find that my father used his _lovely_ semblance to enslave the kid daughter of a bunch of my friends, who Raven had just killed because of a petty grudge-"

{You knew my parents?}

"-and all of a sudden it was like I had never even existed." Qrow stalked towards Bella, violently brushing her illusion aside. "Everything was about the Nevermore Queen and her little princess, never mind that she was a six-year-old Father was turning into a serial killer. I might as well have been a bad memory, for all the tribe cared, and the worst part? They were _right_. Look at the Branwen Tribe now – victors of the Tribe War, strong enough to take on Mistral and _win._ Where was I when my tribe was taking over Anima?"

{You were saving the world. You're a hero, Uncle Qrow. You know how much blood Raven and I had to shed in that war.}

"No." Qrow shook his head, meeting her eyes. "I was disowned because when I fought with Raven, my own father cared more about you than he _ever_ did about me. So, forgive me if I have a little bit of a _problem_ with you, Bella Green."

Bella narrowed her eyes. {Branwen.}

"Green."

{Uncle Qrow.}

"I'm not your uncle, and you have no right to call me that!"

Bella flinched, her eyes going white, and she took a step back. Qrow swayed before her, nearly losing his balance. Another long pause stretched between them, like the final cracks spiderwebbing through a burning bridge before it collapses. Qrow looked conflicted for a long moment, then turned on his heel and stalked to the bush where his flask had drained out. Picking it up and peering inside, he sneered at it and shoved it in his coat when he found it empty.

Before Qrow could walk away, text shimmered before him. {Wait. Please.}

Qrow spun back around. "What?! What more do want from me?"

Bella stood with her head bowed and eyes closed, trying to contain her emotions. {If you really hate me, then fine. I don't care. I-}Her text shattered, swirling uncontrollably before reforming itself into words. {People have hurt me far more than you ever will, Qrow. I'm not your father, and I've never been a slave. Raven never cared about that. If you do, then I-}Shatter, swirl, reform. {Look, if you're going to hate me, fine, but you haven't been listening to me. You're hurting your real niece, Qrow. If you really care about your team as much as you say you do, then stop treating Ruby like she's a part of me!}

"I'm not-"

{She loves you, Qrow.} Qrow froze, staring at her text. {I know, I can feel what she feels. Even now, even after everything, you're still her Uncle Qrow, her role model.} Bella tilted her head and opened her eyes, pure pink. {Please, for her sake, don't let that fall apart. She needs you, whether she knows it or not, especially right now. You saved our lives from Harkan. I know you still care. Please, for her, just-}

"I couldn't save her. I failed. She-"

{What?}

Qrow clenched his fists, visibly trying to hide his emotions. "She almost died in the same way Summer did," he said in a low tone. "I can't be around, I can't risk losing-"

Bella's hand fell on Qrow's shoulder, and he fell silent. {If you hadn't been there, she'd be dead right now. Hating me isn't going to protect her, Qrow.}

She let go of him and stepped back, then turned away and started back down the path to the Xiao-Long household. "Hey, where're you going?" Qrow called after her. "We weren't done here yet!"

Qrow hated her. Bella had known that her whole life, really, but somehow she had always thought he cared about her, deep down. He was Raven's brother, Ruby's uncle. He was _Uncle Qrow._ To hear that hatred out loud, verbalized, made it impossible to ignore. Bella had always believed being drunk brought out what people truly felt, ugly or not. Silas, in particular (and Three, but she _couldn't_ think about Three, not now), had had a fondness for drinking, then taking out all of his frustrations on her when he staggered into his tent late at night. If Qrow had been sober, she could have written it off, could have lost herself in Ruby's memories, could have pretended like he didn't mean it, but…

He might be her Uncle Qrow, but Bella would never be Qrow's niece.

 _I'm sorry, Ruby. Mom._ Bella broke into a run, sprinting away from _her_ uncle, _her_ Uncle Qrow, leaving him swaying behind her. A single illusory word hung in her wake, then shattered into glass shards.

{Please.}

The moment she made it out of Qrow's sight, Bella darted into the woods and sank to the floor against a tree. _"I'm not your uncle, and you have no right to call me that!"_ She knew those words, how the "never" had felt like a physical blow. "Never" was clutching to tent flaps while Mom and Qrow fought in the rain, trembling in pain as steel bit into Starling's neck, Silas' hot breath on her neck. She remembered that horrible awful night all too well.

Qrow _said the same thing to me that Starling said to him, the night Qrow was disowned._

Bella didn't cry, but she wasn't ready to face Ruby again just yet. Curled up into a ball at the foot of an oak tree, she simply sat in the midday sun, quietly mourning the uncle she had lost, or maybe never truly had in the first place.

* * *

"Yang."

Blake got to her feet, the tips of her ears curling inwards as Yang stopped staring at the tent wall and looked at her for the first time in an hour. Yang's arm had been unbandaged a week ago, and she now wore a tan jacket that loosely hung over her missing limb. Her blonde hair was disheveled; her dull lilac eyes profoundly disinterested. "What?"

"Are you going to eat your lunch?" Yang's untouched tray with a bowl of stew and fresh sliced peaches sat on Yang's bedside beside Blake's, which had been picked clean.

Yang shrugged and looked away again. "I'm not hungry."

"No."

"I'm sorry?"

Blake bristled, crossing her arms and giving Yang a scowl. She had gone hungry far too many times with the White Fang, long day and nights in the wilderness followed by hostile towns that wouldn't so much as let a faunus into their gates, let alone share their hard-earned crops. Yang had never had to go through that, and Blake didn't want her to. She had been patient with her girlfriend, with her injury, but tending to Yang's bedside was growing tedious, and she was having trouble handling her apathy. _I can't deal with this anymore._ "I _said_ , no. Eat your food."

"And I said I'm not hungry."

"Yang Xiao Long." Drawing herself up to her full height, Blake strode to Yang's side and leaned towards her. "I have sat here and watched you starve yourself for two weeks, and I am _sick_ of it. Either you can eat your food or I'll have Silo come in here and force feed it to you!"

"Okay, fine! What's the big deal, anyway?" Yang grabbed the tray with her good arm and yanked it towards her before Blake could get there to help her. The bowl of stew jerked against the edge of the tray and splashed onto her blanket. Starting in surprise when the cold liquid hit her legs, she lost her grip on the tray and it spilled to the ground, peaches and chunks of beef scattering on the carpeted tent floor. "Fuck!"

Blake hid her face in her hands and stared at the mess from between her fingers, taking a deep breath to stop herself from lashing out. "That's it. I'm going to find Silo."

"What? Why?"

"Because _somebody_ has to clean up the mess you just made, and it's not going to be you and it sure as hell isn't going to be me!"

"What is wrong with you today?" Yang called before Blake could storm out of the tent. Her eyes had flashed red, and her only fist was angrily clenched into a ball. "You're never so-"

"What's wrong with _me?_ " Blake asked in disbelief. "What's wrong is that you aren't acting anything like Yang and I can't deal with it anymore!"

Yang scowled at her petulantly. "You're not my mom."

 _Unbelievable._ "No, I'm your _girlfriend_ ," Blake snapped, "and your mom had already made it _exceedingly_ clear that once you decide to get off your ass and stop acting pathetic, she'll start paying attention to you again!"

Before Yang could respond, Blake had already stomped out of the tent and flung the flap shut behind her. The summer heat felt like stepping into a sauna, a low shimmering wave hanging over the Branwen camp like aura. Their tent had ice dust woven into the fabric for temperature regulation in the summer, a luxury only afforded to Raven and her core. Her scowl deepened at the thought. _I ought to tell Silo to stick her in one of the travel sleepers! It's what she deserves for the way she's been moping around._

Yang had lost an arm, and Blake had figured she would just shrug it off and smiled like everything else. She was _Yang_ , after all.

How had she been so wrong?

The guards jumped out of her way when she stormed into the med-tent and slammed her hands down on Silo's desk, jolting him out of his paperwork. None of the cots were filled today – the last raid had been a week earlier and everyone had had time to heal. Silo's desk was covered in papers and reports – he was in charge of the tribe's personnel functions as well as their medical functions because apparently bandit tribes kept official records? Blake didn't understand it, and, frankly, she didn't care. "Go deal with Yang," she hissed, eyes narrowing to slits.

Silo raised an eyebrow at her and calmly rose to his feet, where he towered over her. "Finally had it with the princess?"

Blake's eye twitched when Silo called Yang a princess. She had known of Raven's title as the Nevermore Queen for ages, even before Beacon through whispers of a tribal war in the Fang, but what Bella and Raven had never told her was that the queen moniker was literal. Everyone in the tribe truly believedthat Raven was the heir to the long-lost Animan Empire, and the tribal war marked her ascent to the reconquest of the entire continent. The idea sent shivers of excitement down her spine, triggering some revolutionary part of her that had never gone away – _and the fact that Raven had the power and support to pull it off –_ but she knew it was all a load of bullshit. The Branwen "Tribe" was just a band of bandits; glorified bandits, maybe, but bandits nonetheless.

The idea of Bella and Yang side by side in tiaras and poofy pink dresses was hilarious though. _Princesses my ass._

"She won't do anything!" Blake raged, pacing in front of Silo's desk. "She won't talk to me, she won't even think about training or trying physical therapy, and she spilled her lunch on the floor and the sheets!"

"She might have PTSD," Silo said, walking past Blake and putting a hand on her shoulder. Blake stiffened at the contact, her mind immediately flashing to Adam and- _No. I'm angry at Yang. That's it._ "I'll run her through an additional psych evaluation, but I'm afraid I don't have the ability to cure mental illness." His voice dropped to a whisper so the guards couldn't hear. "Raven might have the power to do it, but the princess doesn't know about her having the maiden's powers and I don't want to risk it. I'm afraid she'll have to work this out alone. I might try to use my powers as a placebo, but I'm not sure it'll work. You know the rules. Don't tell her about Raven's powers, or you know the consequences."

Blake didn't know the consequences, but she didn't want to find out. Raven had taken her aside the moment Yang let her out of her sight and brought her to a core meeting. The core was the group of huntsmen level bandits that helped lead the tribe. Raven was the leader, Vernal was second in command, Silo ran all personnel functions, Greaser led combat, and Astral Skulla ran a base of operations in Mistral. They had informed her that nobody in the tribe or outside it could know Raven was the Spring Maiden, to protect Raven and the tribe from Cinder's employer.

She wasn't sure what was more soul-crushing about that – being forced to keep _more_ secrets from Yang or the fact that Cinder Fall had an _employer._

"You think she's depressed?"

"It's a definite possibility," Silo acknowledged, leaning back in his desk chair.

Blake bit her lip."That doesn't mean she can just sit around and do nothing."

"Of course not."

Unable to decide whether Silo was patronizing her or not, Blake threw his hand off her shoulder and stalked out of the tent. "Tell her I'm not coming back until she starts eating again!" she yelled over her shoulder, earning a non-committal grunt from Silo.

She didn't care if Yang had PTSD. Blake _refused_ to sit by and watch her suffer without even trying to get better! If that meant pissing her off until she reacted, so be it. _It's not like that hasn't worked before._

Pausing in the middle of the village, Blake paused, unsure of what to do next. Some bandits watched her curiously, trying to get a read on the only outsider in the camp. People wanted to meet Yang's girlfriend, after all. Most were older, but a few had been Blake's age; they reminded her of some of her old friends from the White Fang, rough and tumble but kind-hearted. While it was impossible to escape the high wooden palisade and the omnipresent weaponry, the Branwen tribe felt more like a village than a pack of ruthless bandits. For starters, it was _massive_. Nearly a thousand people lived in the main camp and several smaller, mainly civilian camps hidden beyond the main walls but nearby. On top of that, Blake had gathered that several smaller tribes were scattered around Anima, all loyal to Raven and only Raven. Add in all of the people scattered in cities and the Branwen cell in Mistral, and suddenly Raven seemed a lot more important than Blake had previously thought.

The guards outside of Raven's tent stepped aside and nodded to Blake, letting her push her way into the furnished tent. Inside, Raven and Vernal sat at the low table together, drinking tea and talking in hushed tones. When Blake entered, Raven looked up and frowned at her. "Blake? Is something wrong?"

Blake tried to wipe the scowl off her face and failed. "I can't deal with Yang right now. I need something else to do or I'm going to go crazy."

Raven and Vernal exchanged a look, and Raven gave her second-in-command a slight nod. "Well, there is one thing..." Vernal said, meeting Blake's eyes, "but I'm not sure if you're going to like it."

* * *

Something was wrong with Bella.

Ruby wasn't sure what it was; Bella hadn't told her, and part of their new agreement about respecting boundaries was that if one of them didn't want to talk about something, the other person wouldn't push. Still, it was driving her crazy that she had no idea what was causing the undercurrent of turmoil she had been feeling from Bella all week. _What would she hide from me that makes her feel like that? Something about Roman? Qrow? Cinder? Maybe she had indigestion and she's ignoring it? I told her she needs to drink more milk!_

 _Rose, if you're really that worried about me, then being anxious isn't exactly going to help me feel better._

 _But-_

 _Besides, I don't need to drink milk._ I _eat ice cream!_

And that was as far as that conversation had gotten. Now, three days later, Ruby was no closer to figuring what had happened than before. Meanwhile...

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

Plunging the tip of her sword into the top of the last section of the blackened ruins of the Atlesian flagship, Weiss created a massive gravity glyph that enveloped the building-sized wreckage. At the same time, Pyrrha's body was enveloped by flames. The Fall Maiden spiraled into the air, earning her cheers from the crowd that had assembled below to watch the last of the biggest ruins get cleared away. Spreading her arms wide, Pyrrha activated her semblance. The wreckage hummed with black aura, then creaked and ripped itself out of the ground, made far easier with Weiss' anti-gravity glyphs. Once the wreck was out of the ground, Weiss jumped off the top and into the waiting bullhead below. Pyrrha shot her a thumbs-up, and she nodded in return – then, Pyrrha, the bullhead, and the broken front section of the flagship all flew towards the shipyards.

"Awesome, that's the last of it!" Nora gave Weiss a high five. "That was easy!"

Weiss nodded, a satisfied smile on her face. "We did it as a team. I'm just glad that between you, me, and Pyrrha, we had the semblances to help with demolition and cleanup. With all of the professionals out of the city dealing with all the attacks on small towns and military stuff the attack caused, relief would be slow otherwise. We're lucky it took us less than a month to take the entire flagship apart."

Ruby stood at the edge of the Bullhead, her hair swept over her metallic skin and her left arm bundled up in a red cast. She grinned at Pyrrha's blazing form. "Pyrrha is so _cool!_ I knew the maiden powers were totally awesome, but this-"

 _I can't believe you're fangirling over her when she just broke your arm,_ Bella muttered, turning her scowl on Ruby.

 _Aw, you're just mad that you don't have a super-awesome semblance!_

 _Am not._

 _Are too._

 _Shut up._

"I'm pretty sure Ozpin wouldn't have let Pyrrha use her powers like this." Weiss' ponytail whipped in the wind as she watched the levitating blackened hull, a frown on her lips. "It worries me, honestly."

Ruby shrugged, airing both her and Bella's thoughts. "So what? Cinder and Salem know exactly where she is, and right now she's inspiring Vale and making them hopeful. Besides, Ozpin is dead now."

Weiss pursed her lips. "Ruby..."

"What?"

"You shouldn't be naive, not after everything that's happened." Weiss paced across the Bullhead floor, keeping her eyes on Pyrrha the whole time. "We're vulnerable right now. Salem is already probably sending assassins to kill Pyrrha, and we're parading her around the city showing her powers on full display. Remember, all they need to do is kill her, and then we've lost. We can't afford to lose anybody else. _I_ won't let us lose anybody else."

"And we won't." Ruby frowned at her partner, tracing the scar that ran over her icy blue eye. "We've had a full team of professional hunters around her at all times, plus all of us. The point is, if Vale is scared, the Grimm won't stop coming, and we can't risk that. Our job is to help people, not to hide. This is _Pyrrha's_ choice – not the adults, not you, and definitely not Ozpin."

"Ruby's right. Besides, let's not talk about Pyrrha. She's _right there,_ guys." Nora pointed out the side of the bullhead as if the entire city couldn't see Pyrrha. "Besides, we _all_ need this right now. We can't keep dwelling on… everything."

Weiss bit her lip and turned away, but didn't respond.

The procession came to the shipyard, where other pieces of the ruined ships were being broken down into raw metals to be reprocessed for reconstruction and weapons. Pyrrha descended from the sky in a brilliant blaze, setting the last of the flagship down amid cheers. There was a crowd assembled here too, eager to watch the reconstruction even as the rest of Vale was under strict curfew and guard while the city was still unsafe. The endless procession of funerals and missing had begun to slow, and people were beginning to look at their new reality – thousands left jobless, homeless, and left in temporary housing camps scattered through the upper-class district and the agriculture district. People were searching to take their minds off of things, and word of Pyrrha Nikos' new powers had spread like wildfire.

Pyrrha shot towards the ground and flipped into a landing next to Nora, laughing as she did. Ruby had never seen her friends quite like this – her normally perfect hair had been ruffled by the wind, and a messy grin was written all over her face. "Having fun?" Nora asked sarcastically, unable to hold back her own smile.

"The flagship is done, and I must admit, flying is absolutely _wonderful_ ," Pyrrha said breathlessly.

 _She's lost her mind,_ Bella concluded. _One day she's going human torch on us, and the next week she's_ hyper _, of all things. Cinder really is getting to her head._

Ruby slugged Bella's shoulder with her good hand, sniggering when Bella shoved her back. _C'mon, you could at least try to pretend like you aren't miserable._

Bella's face darkened, and she looked away. _It's not my fault everybody's acting like we won the lottery today. Vale's in ruins, I think I'm allowed not to be Miss Sunshine over there._

 _I just don't understand what could have made you so upset._ Bella didn't respond, so Ruby elbowed her with her cast. _Look, it's okay if you don't tell me, but I'm here for you, you know that._

 _I know._

Ruby watched Bella for a long moment, then shrugged. _Alright then. Don't be upset with Pyrrha, though. I'm glad for her. We both know she's distracting herself from thinking about Jaune and Cinder right now._

 _You're right, I guess._ Bella crossed her arms, looking up at the sunny blue July sky. _And I'll tell you about what happened someday, just… I don't know. I'm not ready to deal with it yet._

 _Fair enough._

"Excuse me?" The group of huntresses looked up to see a very familiar woman with purple hair approach them, a cameraman trailing behind her. Lisa Lavender smiled at them, glancing down at her notes for a moment. "You guys are the first-year group that's been heading relief efforts, right? Pyrrha Nikos, Weiss Schnee, Violet Rose, Ruby Rose, and..." Lisa extended a hand to Nora. "I'm afraid we haven't been acquainted."

"Nora Valkyrie, at your service!" Nora exclaimed, enthusiastically shaking Lisa's hand.

Ruby frowned. "What do you mean, we haven't been acquainted?"

"Oh, I mean I haven't reported about Miss Valkyrie here before," Lisa said with a shrug. "Miss Nikos and Miss Schnee have both given me a few interviews in their day, and you've been on the news quite a bit, Miss Rose."

 _Roman._ Ruby and Bella shuddered at the same time, sharing a look.

Lisa, to her credit, seemed to read their discomfort well and didn't press the subject. "Anyways, I've been doing a series of street-level interviews about the cleanup efforts, and I was hoping Weiss and Pyrrha might be able to give interviews for VNN."

Weiss stepped to the front of the ground, holding her head high and putting on her best 'I'm-a-Schnee-and-you-are-trash' look. "Lisa, as team leader, I am happy to give an interview, but there are several confidential matters of importance that I will not allow you to ask about."

"I understand." Lisa gave Weiss a calculating look. "They are?"

 _Typical journalist,_ Bella scoffed. _Always fishing for good stories. You have no idea how much propaganda Raven feeds into the Mistral press._

Weiss held up a fist and started counting off fingers. "Nothing about what happened during the attack, period. Nothing about the SDC or Pyrrha's tournament career. Nothing about our other teammates. And…" An unavoidable sigh. "Look, I know you're going to ask about Pyrrha's powers. Our answer is going to be that she recently discovered that she has a dual semblance."

"A dual-"

Cutting Lisa off, Weiss stepped towards her with a pointed look. "Do _not_ dig any deeper than that. Trust me when I say that the less you know about it, the safer you will be."

Lisa paled. "I don't understand."

"People want to hear about their champion, the Unbreakable Girl who's protecting Vale and inspiring everybody," Pyrrha added quietly. "People don't like what they don't understand."

"O-okay. Got it. Stick to the nice stuff." Lisa regained her composure and nodded to her cameraman, letting Bella, Ruby, and Nora step out of the shot. Her cameraman shot her a thumbs-up, and then Lisa was in full reporter mode. "Good afternoon, Vale. Today, I am joined by a pair of up-and-coming huntresses who are making a big impact right now helping with Vale's disaster relief squads. Please welcome Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee."

Pyrrha gave the camera an awkward smile. Weiss nodded, wearing her most regal face. "Thank you for having us, Lisa."

Lisa nodded. "Of course, the talk of the city right now is you, Pyrrha, and your new fire powers. Is this another part of your top-secret semblance, or something else entirely?"

"Actually, during the attack, I unlocked the new powers. Headmistress Goodwitch says that it's a rare phenomenon called a duel semblance," Pyrrha admitted to the camera.

Another gasp of shock escaped Lisa's lips; Ruby had to give her credit, it sounded no less genuine than the first. "Incredible. And it gives you the power to lift entire Atlesian Battleships."

Pyrrha blushed, ducking her head. "Actually, I kinda could have done that before I unlocked my second semblance. Really, the only new thing about the fire is attack power and flight, it's really not that much..."

"She's lying, it's totally awesome!" Nora called from off-camera, and Bella facepalmed.

Lisa shook her head. "Truly, you continue to be an inspiration to us all, Miss Nikos. Now, Miss Schnee, you've been leading this relief effort, am I correct?"

"Yes. I am here at the front of the relief effort both as a student of Beacon and a representative of Atlas and the SDC." Weiss spoke with a tight professionalism that made Ruby shiver; this was Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, not her partner. "I'm committed to making sure this city gets back up on its feet, and I know my entire team feels the same way."

Lisa nodded, then her gaze shifted to something darker. "Now, I know many at home know about the treachery of James Ironwood that caused the senseless massacre of tens of thousands of faunus this past month. Human-faunus tension and Vale-Atlas tensions are both at all-time highs, and I know many of our viewers at home are concerned about what's going to happen next. Miss Schnee, I'm sure that many know of your role as the head of the huntsman defense force for the protest. Any comments you have to reassure our viewers will go a long way, I'm sure."

For a moment, Weiss froze, staring at Lisa. The sounds of machinery and steel on steel filled the air, a thick tension lying between the camera and the huntresses. Ruby sucked in a big breath of air, nervously shifting closer to Bella. _"_ I..." Weiss started to say, then trailed off.

Without asking, she knew what Weiss was thinking: _this is all my fault._

 _Come on,_ _Ice Queen_ , Bella said quietly, as if Weiss was able to hear her. _You got this. Don't freeze up now._

"She's not going to answer," Nora whispered in horror. "She still blames herself."

The seconds stretched on. Weiss paled. Pyrrha fidgeted. Lisa seemed to realize she had asked a bad question, but couldn't stop the trainwreck she had set in motion.

Finally, Weiss managed to find her voice. "We all lost people we loved in the attack," she said quietly. "Vale, Atlas, all the faunus who traveled for the protest. Our enemy knew exactly where to strike to make it hurt the most, and they did."

Pyrrha flinched, and Ruby cringed. _She froze._ Another agonizing moment of silence passed, then Ruby stepped forward and hissed, "Pyrrha!"

To her credit, the Fall Maiden snapped out of her haze and straightened up for the camera. "That's why we're here, of course," she said smoothly, effectively masking her grief. "We're showing the people of Vale that even though they hit us where it hurts, we're still stronger and we're _not_ giving up." Pyrrha's corona of fire sprung to life around her, and she grimaced. "We will recover, and we won't let the enemies that want to divide us win."

"Of course." Lisa nodded, jumping at the opportunity to end the interview. "Thank you, Miss Schnee and Miss Nikos, for all of the work you've been doing to keep our people safe. Now, back to you, Cyril."

The cameras clicked off and dropped, and everybody heaved a sigh of relief. "What the hell was that?!" Nora cried, rounding up on Lisa who backed away from the angry redhead.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that would be a sensitive question!" Lisa cried.

Ruby sighed as Bella went after Nora and Lisa, probably to give the reporter a piece of her own mind. Instead, she ran over to Weiss, who was leaning on Pyrrha with a lost expression. "Weiss! Are you-"

"What was I supposed to say?" Weiss asked, cutting her off. "Denounce the Atlas military, when my own country is expecting me home in a week? Argue for racial equality when my father will get me expelled from Beacon if I do? _I_ was in charge of defense, _I_ was-"

"Weiss." Ruby stepped closer to Weiss, pulling her hair away from her metallic eye. "It's not your fault."

"Ruby..." Pyrrha warned, her voice low.

Weiss met Ruby's glance for a long moment, then pulled away from Pyrrha and sank back on her haunches. "You know what, Ruby? Maybe this time, it _is_ my fault. Maybe I'm allowed to do something wrong for once in my life!" Turning on her heel, the heiress ran away towards the southern docks, her ponytail swaying behind her.

Pyrrha caught Ruby's shoulder before she could use her semblance to go after Weiss. "Don't."

"But-"

"Ruby. She just needs space. Let her go." Pyrrha let go of Ruby, smoothing out her hair with one of her gauntlets. "She'll come back when she's ready to talk."

"Ah, students. You finished your demolition work?"

Ruby and Pyrrha spun around to see Glynda standing behind them. "Professor Goodwitch!"

"We did – the worst of the rubble should be cleared by now," Pyrrha said.

Glynda's appearance was as carefully put together as ever, but deep circles ran under her eyes that spoke to her exhaustion. "Good. That's good. Miss Nikos, I understand that you've been using your… semblance?"

Ruby and Pyrrha both immediately stiffened. "Yes, I have," Pyrrha declared. "C- _She_ already knows where I am anyway, and the people of this city ne-"

"Relax, I'm not upset with you." Glynda raised a hand, flicking her riding crop with her other hand. "I know you understand the consequences, Miss Nikos, and I'm not like Oz. I know- Amber always wanted to use her powers like this. How they're _supposed_ to be used, the reason that Oz gifted them to the maidens in the first place."

 _Amber._ Ruby remembered the previous fall maiden, how helpless she had looked in the vault when they had gone down to see her. From the devastated look on Pyrrha's face, so did she.

"Professor Goodwitch?"

"Yes, Miss Nikos?"

Pyrrha gave Glynda a look that gave Ruby pause – something full of emotion that was beyond her. _What? That's weird._ "Um, I was actually wondering if we could talk about- about all of this. In private, I mean, not here. Do you- I-"

Glynda narrowed her eyes but nodded. "Of course. I should be able to come by the Xiao-Long household tonight?"

"Yeah." Pyrrha exhaled shakily. "Yeah, that would be good."

Ruby's eyes darted between her best friend and her headmistress for a moment, then she crossed her arms and pouted. _Why is nobody telling me what's going on today?_

 _It's because you're clueless, Rose!_

 _Hey!_

"Well, I have to be elsewhere in the city, but your hard work is going a long way toward helping people." Glynda nodded at Ruby, then turned away. "Keep it up, girls. I expect you'll need the practice when you start Beacon again in the fall."

Ruby watched Pyrrha as Glynda walked away, trying to figure out what had just happened. _What have you gotten into this time, Pyrrha?_

* * *

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Weiss blindly marched along the docks, Myrtenaster hitting her thigh with every step she took. She didn't know, didn't care where she was going. Her mind was too caught up in a haze of blame and apprehension. How could she have frozen on national television? The question had been loaded, sure, but it should have been easy to answer. She had practiced interviews before! There was an entire chapter on them in her team leader book (which was currently making a very nice paperweight for Ruby's weapon blueprints). What had held her back?

 _No, it doesn't even matter. Father will see this and he'll disown me, forget letting me come back to Beacon. I'll be all alone again, I-_

Why couldn't she stop failing when it mattered most?

Somebody crashed into Weiss, and she tumbled to the ground unceremoniously, caught off guard. Myrtenaster fell off her belt and rolled to the feet of the person she had run into, who stooped down and picked up her rapier. Blinking, Weiss looked up to see a tall boy with a fluffy rich haircut staring at her. Somehow, she had managed to wander onto one of the seedier streets in the port district, lined with low-tier bars and nightclubs. Suddenly, the guy standing above her with _her weapon_ got a lot more intimidating. "Hey, give me my sword back!"

The boy considered her sword, running his hand up the blade, then tossed it carelessly back at her feet. "You should watch where you're going, Schnee," he said. "You might just run into the wrong person one day."

Weiss narrowed her eyes, grabbing Myrtenaster and scrambling to her feet. The boy was a good six inches taller than her and seemed unimpressed with her anger. "What's _that_ supposed to mean? Do I know you?"

"No, I don't suppose you would." Lifting his chin to look over her head, the boy lazily walked past her, raising a casual two fingers over his shoulder in farewell as he continued down towards the nearby towering overpass.

"Hey! Come back here!" Weiss yelled after him, glaring at the back of his head.

"Was that guy harassing you?"

Weiss spun around and found one of her least favorite people standing behind her. Qrow leaned lazily against a street sign on the side of the road, arms crossed. "Oh, it's _you,"_ she muttered, cursing her luck. _Of all the things I didn't need today…_

"Hey, I'm not _that_ bad," Qrow drawled.

She snorted – _who does he think he's kidding?_ – and looked at the boy's retreating figure. "No, I just wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

Qrow caught her shoulder before she could walk away. "Hey, not so fast, kiddo. I know you come and sulk around the docks whenever you get upset at something. What's up this time?"

"Why should I tell you? You're probably drunk right now, so..." Weiss trailed off when Qrow frowned and looked away.

"Not today," the older huntsman said, sticking his hands in his pocket.

Not for the first time, Weiss was uncomfortably reminded of her mother, locked up in her tower with her alcohol, away from her father, only her mother never stopped drinking. She didn't even know it was possible to stop drinking, once you had fallen down the bottle. "What happened?" she blurted out.

Qrow started to walk away. His dark cape blew back and forth over the gears of his scythe, shoulders held higher than usual. "C'mon, Ice Queen," he called back over his shoulder, his aftershave shadowed by the late-afternoon shade. "Trust me, you don't want to be anywhere near these clubs when night falls."

So, Weiss followed.

* * *

Warm ocean breeze spun across Dockside Park, rustling the oak leaves and Weiss' ponytail. The orange sky reflected on the water, devoid of clouds, and a massive ocean liner's horn distantly rang from around the southern point. The Sea of Sanus truly was beautiful, Weiss thought, curling her fingers around the edge of the wooden bench. Father had taken her to one of their seaside estates on vacation, once. The southern coast of Atlas was nothing like Sanus – nothing but jagged rocks and violent waves.

"So, are you planning on telling me why you were charging around the port, or are we just going to watch the ocean all night?" Qrow asked. He sat on the opposite edge of the park bench, one foot on the bench and one arm slung over his bent knee.

Weiss sighed, letting her arms relax at her sides. "It's- it's nothing, really. We were finishing up clean-up on the flagship, and Lisa Lavender came up and asked for an interview. She asked if I had anything to tell the people of Vale, as the head of defense, and I- I just froze. Again."

"What kind of question is that?" Qrow muttered, and Weiss shook her head.

"I don't know. I- What was I supposed to say? What can I say?"

Qrow frowned. "So you still blame yourself for the attack, huh?"

Weiss pulled her arms closer to her side, looking away. Her silence was answer enough.

"It's not your fault," Qrow said quietly, looking around to make sure nobody else was eavesdropping. "The whole thing was a set-up from the start, and we still don't know how they pulled it off. James must have been planning this for years if he turned to Salem and none of us knew it. The only reason there was a human detail at all was Blake, you know that, and you saved thousands of lives during the attack. I mean, Ruby, Blake, and Bella knew for ages beforehand, and you didn't until the night before. Nobody thought Atlas would turn against innocent people, even if they were faunus. Salem knew that, knows that. She set everything up so it would hurt us as deeply as possible."

"But-"

Qrow cut her off with a raised hand. "Look, you're a team leader. You aren't going to save everyone. You aren't going to win every battle. Just cause you got wrapped up in something way over your head doesn't change that. If you keep blaming yourself, you're never going to be able to move forward. Being a huntress means you signed up to lose _everything –_ your friends, your team, your family-" Qrow's voice hitched at that, and the same distant look from earlier returned for a moment. "Even your life."

"Tens of thousands of people I was supposed to protect are _dead_!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Yeah." Qrow leaned back against the bench, staring at the skyline. "Yeah, they are."

Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, wishing the warmth of the sun on her face would go away. "It's so stupid. They're just dead. General Ironwood was supposed to protect them. _I_ was supposed to protect them. But I can't, because they're dead."

Traffic went by behind them. Water lapped at the park shore. Another distant horn rang in the distance.

"How am I supposed to go back to Atlas?" Weiss whispered, turning to look at Qrow. "I have nightmares about them, the paladins. How am I supposed to go back when I can't even do an interview on TV properly? How can they expect me to speak for an entire kingdom when I can't even keep my own team safe?"

"Stop."

"What?"

Qrow got to his feet and walked a few paces towards the water, keeping his back to Weiss. "If you're looking for advice, don't do TV interviews. Ever. They never end well. With everything else, just stop, okay?"

"I don't understand," Weiss said, staring at the back of Qrow's head.

"Beacon is one thing, but the real world is another. Shit like this happens all the time, and without people like us, it would happen a whole lot more. If you linger on the past, then, well..." Qrow turned around and spread his arms wide, a bitter smile written all over his face. "You'll start losing things you didn't even realize you still had."

A chill ran down Weiss' back. "What happened?" she asked. Without answering her, Qrow started walking away, brushing past her without a goodbye. Weiss spun on her heel to watch him walk away. "Hey, where are you going?"

Qrow stopped, his tattered cape blowing in the wind. "You got a good team with you, kid," he said. "You're a better leader than you think you are. Next time, don't run away from them, okay? They're there for you if you let them be."

 _My team… I didn't run away, did I?_

 _"_ _You don't have to be perfect, and you don't have to hide who you are and how you feel from us!"_ Yang had told her at the dance. _"You don't have to be alone anymore."_

 _Damn it._ Weiss looked down and sighed. _I forgot again, didn't I? I got so wrapped up in taking all the blame that I forgot about everyone else, just like Ruby said._

 _Why is she always right? It's so… annoying._

Weiss raised her head again only to find that Qrow had disappeared. A crow winged past her, and she turned to watch it dive over the open sea before caw and wheel back towards the city. Maybe she was crazy, but sometimes she wondered if Qrow's semblance actually had something to do with the birds, not luck. _He left without telling me what he was upset about, huh?_ "Practice what you preach," she muttered to herself, then started walking back to the main docks.

After all, she had a team to get back to.

Line Break

 **[A/N] I was going to write an entire essay about Qrow Branwen, but I scrapped it for the V4 finale for the sake of brevity. Long story short – Qrow surprises me every time I think I have his character down, I'm not bashing him and I'm deeply invested in his arc as a primary antagonist, and no, I don't know how Qrow and Weiss have had two long heart-to-hearts at the docks in this fic. It's not my fault they foil each other so well (even though it totally is.) Anyways, he's the motherfucker who fought with me for almost two months, and it took a Schnee to calm him down, so Weiss gets 100% of the credit for this chapter coming now and not in March.**

 **Also: Lisa Lavender did all of the reporting on Roman and spread the 'Black Rose' nickname, reported on Tukson's death, Blake's beating, and the protest, and now is sabotaging the one character we can all agree is the best in re:Bound? _Clearly_ , she's the main villain in this fic, guys. Salem's boss, _confirmed_.**

 **Oh, and Blake finally gets fed up after dealing with Mopey Yang for a month. That's going to end well…**

 **Happy 2019, and I hope y'all had a wonderful holidays. I went to Japan, it was incredible. Also, Volume Six is absolutely my favorite volume of RWBY. The AdamvsBlake &Yang fight was incredible and I give all the props to CRWBY. Also finally they offed Adam. Good riddance, in my opinion. Bumblebee is canon!**

 **Thanks to all who stuck with me through this and for five hundred favorites. I love you guys, and I'll see you (hopefully) in 11ish days.**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **Next Chapter: 2/9/19**


	35. V5 - Stratagem

Volume Four, Chapter Five: Stratagem

* * *

re:Bound

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 2/12/19

Beta: Vixie

* * *

"I hope Weiss is doing okay."

Twilight had fallen over the Xiao-Long household an hour ago, and now the moths had started emerging from the forest to flit at the edges of the lit windows. The sink was running in the kitchen; Qrow and Tai were in the middle of a quiet conversation, the latter whistling as he washed the dishes. Pyrrha, curled up in a ball under a quilt on the sofa, glanced at Nora, who was staring at the ground worriedly. "I'm sure she'll be fine, Nora."

"I know that, I just…" The dark circles were gone from under Nora's eyes, and her complexion had lost the sallowness it had held right after Ren's death. Pyrrha was glad for that, at least, but it brought her own loss back to the forefront, raw, every time she saw Nora so uncertain. "She's going to _Atlas_. I mean, yeah, Yang and Blake are in Anima, but..." Nora trailed off with a sigh. "How do you think it's gonna go with her dad, and all?"

{She'll be fine} Bella let her scroll fall to her lap, some game Pyrrha didn't recognize blaring tinny sound effects through the living room. {You know she would tell us not to worry about her.}

Nora pouted at that, crossing her arms. "I know _that_. Why didn't we get to go, huh? I wanted to see a mansion!"

Bella snorted – even as Pyrrha looked away. "Mansions aren't as great as you think," Pyrrha murmured, digging her fingertips into her gauntlets. "You aren't missing out on much."

"Hey, not all of us have seen a mansion!" Nora protested.

{I have.}

"Me too."

Nora's pout turned into a scowl, and she looked away. "You guys are no fun."

"Oi, Bella!" Tai stuck his head through the doorway, dish suds running down his arms. "Tell Ruby to come inside, okay? We're going to have ice cream!"

Bella's face lit up, and her eyes turned pure white. {Already done!} her cheerful text floated after Tai back into the kitchen. Pyrrha could almost imagine stars floating in her eyes. _She really likes ice cream…_

"Ice cream!" Ruby burst into the living room through the back doors, petals from her semblance trailing behind her. Her hair was pulled up into a bun, welding goggles pushed up her forehead, and grease stains covered her face and clothes. Bella broke out laughing the moment she saw Ruby, launching the two of them into a silent conversation so loud Pyrrha practically knew what they were saying.

"Were you doing weapon maintenance on your face?" Nora quipped, snickering at Ruby's appearance.

"Hey, don't make fun of the fine art of weapons!" Ruby struck a pose, grinning at Nora. "Weapons are _way_ better than people, everybody knows that."

Bella snorted and rolled her eyes. {Yeah, right.}

"Bellaaaa..."

Pyrrha shook her head, giving Ruby a fond expression. "What exactly _were_ you doing that was that messy?"

"Oh, it's totally awesome!" In an instant, Ruby was in front of Pyrrha, rose petals all over the living room floor.

"Rubes, what have I told you about using your semblance inside?!" Tai called from the kitchen, and Ruby cringed.

"Sorry Dad!"

Pyrrha met Bella's eyes and they both shook their heads. "So, what was it?"

Ruby grinned, rubbing at grease on her cheek with her workman's gloves. "Okay, so I never had a chance to really take Rising Thorn apart during school because of everything, right? So, I finally managed to disassemble it and Mom is a _genius!_ I mean, she fit a _machine gun_ inside of a _naginata_! It's- I- I didn't even think you could _do_ that but Mom _did_ and she's my _Mom_ and-"

Bella pushed herself to her feet and walked over to Ruby's side, leaning lazily on her shoulder. {She's been yelling at me about this for an hour.}

Ruby grinned at Bella. "Aw, you love me."

Bella just flicked her in the forehead, and Pyrrha laughed.

"So, are you adding awesome mods?" Nora asked, popping up between Ruby and Bella and forcing them apart. "Does Rising Thorn turn into a hammer too? What about _nunchucks_?!" Nora's grin widened even further. "Does it have _lightning powers?!"_

Ruby grinned back. "Noooo, but I did replace the receiver with the newest Atlesian model, added a third dust slot, rethingamajiggered all of the springs to get the rust out, touched up the inside of the scope, aaaand I added a retractable muzzle!"

Nora blinked at her. Pyrrha nodded along, genuinely impressed. _Maybe I should add some of those to Milo. I could use the new_ _receiver_ _…_

{Would you believe I know what a buffer tube is now?} Bella asked, wearing a dry expression.

"Alright, kids, who wants to rot their teeth?" Qrow asked as he swept into the room, a tray laden with four different flavors of ice cream and bowls in his arms. Behind him, Tai had a wistful smile on his face as he carried a tray of cookies, which he set down next to the white rose in its vase on the coffee table.

"Cookies!" Ruby screamed and launched herself at Tai. Bella just squealed and made a beeline for the ice cream. Qrow and Tai exchanged satisfied smiles, and Pyrrha let the last of her worry drift away, just for a moment, and relaxed into the couch. The grief didn't disappear, not really, but…

 _Maybe that's okay._

* * *

Six ice cream bowls sat in a sloppy stack in the center of the coffee table, next to a very empty cookie sheet and a smug Zwei (who had eaten an entire container of mint ice cream). Bella dozed with her head on the table and a hand resting on the dog's back, strawberry ice cream messily smeared across her lips. Ruby was curled up in Bella's lap, pressed against her chest and using her thigh as a pillow. Nora was sprawled across the floor, cradling her overfull belly and snoring. The room glowed in the low light, amber, stuck in time. Tai had taken pictures a few minutes earlier – now he and Qrow were in the other room again, talking.

Pyrrha was content to watch her friends sleep; their peacefulness had put her into a deep state of tranquility, a timelessness almost. _Jaune… You would have loved this,_ she thought, tracing the edge of her belt with a steady finger. _I know you would. You'd be on the couch with me, and we'd be laughing at how Nora's drooling in her sleep, or how cute Zwei is…_

 _We'd be happy._

 _Is it wrong if I'm happy without you here? Can I be happy without you?_

There was no answer, nothing but the steady rise and fall of her chest to lead her into the night. Pyrrha couldn't be envious of Ruby and Bella – she cared for Ruby too much – but still, it aroused the melancholic longings, a flutter of some half-forgotten touch, a faded buzz on her lips. Something lingered beyond her comprehension. Somehow, Pyrrha didn't mind the feeling. She sank into it, into the couch, at ease but not at peace.

A knock came from the door, startling her out of her thoughts. Movement from the other room; Tai walked to the door and pulled it open. "Oh, Glynda, come in."

 _What would you tell me to do if you were here?_

Pyrrha sat up on the couch when Glynda stepped into the entryway, her huntress outfit traded for a pair of black slacks and a purple cardigan. "Thank you, Tai," she said as she stepped over the threshold, looking over the living room with a tired smile. "And good evening to you, Miss Nikos."

"Good evening, Professor Goodwitch." Pyrrha got to her feet and carefully stepped over Ruby, making her way to stand near Tai.

"What brings you round at this hour?" Qrow asked, walking into the room behind Tai.

Glynda opened her mouth to answer, then snapped it shut. Narrowing her eyes at Qrow, she stalked towards him and inspected his face. "You're _sober._ "

Qrow shook his head. "Nah, just buzzed. I had a glass of wine at dinner, good stuff."

"You're never sober," Glynda accused. When Qrow didn't react, she turned her glare on Tai. "He's _never_ sober."

"Just roll with it," Tai mock-whispered, leaning in towards Glynda. "If you say too much, you'll jinx it."

They both looked at Qrow, who held up his hands in surrender. "Who, me?"

"Yes, you. What happened?"

Qrow waited for Tai and Glynda to drop their stares, then drooped dramatically when neither of them did. "Oh, you're really gonna make me say it, huh?"

"Yes!" the adults chorused.

When Qrow pointed over Pyrrha's shoulder, Pyrrha followed his finger to Ruby and Bella's sleeping forms. "Bella happened." Qrow sighed, smiled, shook his head. "You know, it's amazing, really. Kid like her with shit luck, in a family like ours… She really grew up to be something, huh?"

"Bella? What did Bella do?" Pyrrha asked, confused. All three adults looked at her, and she grimaced awkwardly and took a step backward.

"Forgot she was here," Qrow muttered, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Then, his expression grew serious. "Look, kid, sometimes… Sometimes things don't work out, but that doesn't mean they didn't turn out alright. Bella, Rubes, they- they both deserve better. I-" Qrow clenched a fist, taking a deep breath before he kept speaking. "I'm not a Branwen, not really. Not anymore. But Bella, she is. She doesn't need me, but Ruby still does. Sometimes you have to let people go to move on. So I..."

Qrow exhaled, his breath coming out shakily. Ruby and Bella slept on, peacefully unaware of the conversation. A hand rested on Qrow's shoulder. "Summer would be proud of you, man," Tai murmured as Glynda hid a small smile. "I know she would."

"Yeah, me too." Qrow chuckled as he watched Ruby. "You heard how she was talking about Rising Thorn today?" Tai rubbed moisture away from his eyes, squeezing Qrow's shoulder, and Qrow shifted towards his teammate in silent comfort.

"It'll be eleven years in a few weeks, won't it?" Glynda asked, pulling one arm to her chest. "It's hard to believe..."

"Laurel and Kyle too..." Tai met Glynda's eyes. "Have you been holding up better?"

Glynda nodded. "A bit. It's surreal, but… I had my time to make my peace with Amber. I know… I know she's still watching over me," she said, twisting her engagement ring around her finger.

"Actually, Professor Goodwitch?" _I have to tell her. I can't keep putting it off._ Pyrrha looked up at Glynda, met her eyes. "I wanted to talk to you. About Amber. It's..."

When Pyrrha trailed off, Glynda sighed. "I thought… Miss Ni- no, Pyrrha." She took a deep breath and offered a weak smile. "Why don't we sit down?"

"Do you want us to leave?" Qrow asked, and she shook her head.

"You and Tai are… You're the closest friends I have left, now that James is gone. If anyone should hear this too, it's you."

* * *

On a sloped roof in the center of Shiroyama, Blake reclined, watched the stars, and tried to gather her muddled thoughts.

Yes, she had gone on a raid with a pack of bandits. _Bandits._ Blake had spent ten years with the White Fang convincing herself she was better than a petty criminal, and here she was, lying in the center of a village occupied by the most notorious group of bandits in Anima.

No, Raven's tribe hadn't come to raze the village, steal every last supply, and rape everyone left alive, leaving the dying out as Grimm bait. That wasn't the case at all. In fact, if she was to believe Raven (which, horrifyingly, she did), Shiroyama had _asked_ for the Branwen Tribe to come and protect them from a local bandit tribe that had split from the greater Branwen tribe in exchange for part of their harvest. Goods for services. A classic fair trade. Blake couldn't fault the logic there.

Yes, Blake had fought against the bandit insurgents. She didn't kill them, couldn't kill them – they were _people,_ damn it – but she knocked people out. Once they had won, Raven had rounded up every enemy who had survived the battle and offered them a chance to rejoin the Branwens. Some refused.

No, Blake hadn't watched when Raven drew her sword, but even folding her ears down wasn't enough to block out the sickening sound of steel on flesh.

And beyond that, the people of Shiroyama seemed to _trust_ Raven, respect her even. They called her the Nevermore Queen. Some whispered that Raven would overthrow the Mistrali council, restore Anima to its former power, bring back the mythical Animan Empire talked about in history books. Raven walked around the town like she owned it, flanked by Vernal and Greaser at all times, and the townspeople lined up in the streets to watch her walk past as if she hadn't just killed a few dozen men.

The stars twinkled in the night sky. Gambol Shroud sat heavy at her hip.

 _I don't get it._

What was the Branwen Tribe? Who was Yang's mother, really, or Bella for that matter?

What had she gotten herself into?

 _The Nevermore Queen…_

Blake's scroll buzzed, jerking her out of her thoughts. She fumbled for it in her pocket, nearly dropping it as she opened the screen and scrolled through her notifications. _More texts from Yang…_ Blake knew she was being a terrible girlfriend. She knew it, knew Yang was hurt and scared, and yet she couldn't get over her anger enough to text her back. Blake had fought Adam too, and he had fucked her life up just as much as Yang's, if not more so. Yang's issues would still be there when she got back to the tribe.

She was so busy swiping the text notifications away that she almost missed one from an unknown sender with no preview. _What the?_ Narrowing her eyes, she flicked it open.

 **?:** **Your parents are safe w WF.** **Not my scroll, don't respond. -IA**

Blake stared dumbly at the text for a long moment, then tensed and jumped to her feet, hand tightening around her scroll. _IA. Ilia Amitola. That means- They're still alive._

 _They're still alive!_

Joyful relief swept over her, only for panic to replace it a moment later. Where were they? Why hadn't Ilia told her? Why were they still with the Fang?

What did Adam want with them?

"Mind if I join you?"

Vernal stood at the edge of the rooftop, her crescent blades strapped to her belt, a searching glint in her eyes. Blake bit her lip but nodded to the seat next to her. _The fake spring maiden…_ _She hasn't talked to me at all, what does she want?_ If Blake was being honest, she respected Vernal and her brand of no-nonsense command that reminded her of Sienna Khan and the White Fang. Vernal had come to the tribe later than the rest of the core, too, after Bella had already been bound to Roman. In short, she was a wildcard, and Blake was wary around people whose actions she couldn't anticipate.

Settling down against the roof with a bent knee and hands folded behind her head, Vernal stared up at the moon. "Have to say, Belladonna, you've impressed me."

Blake looked down at the mossy gutter and the shady alleyway below, already wishing she could end the conversation. "Really."

"Little Miss Sunshine back at camp isn't going to get any better while she's being served on hand over foot." Vernal gave the sky a downward smirk. "I figured Raven would be the one to get her out of bed. I was impressed that you had the guts to do it yourself."

The scroll buzzed again. Blake almost ripped her pocket getting it out, then slumped back against the roof when it was just another text from Yang. _Damn it, Ilia…_ The fiberglass fell flat on her chest, sickly blue luminescence contouring her face in the dark. "What, you aren't going to say anything about how I just helped you kill people?" she asked, her tone bitter.

"That was Yang, wasn't it?" Vernal's face broke out in amusement. "Ignoring her. Oh, with Raven's temperament, there's going to be hell to pay when you get back."

Blake hissed, her ears flattening against her head. Vernal watched her lazily when she jerked into a sitting position, her scroll sliding down into the gutter below. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"

"Us people?"

"You're _bandits_. You kill people and-"

Vernal's expression grew even more amused. "What, so you're angry at us for helping people instead of being the big bad villains you expected? That's hypocritical, coming from a White Fang member-"

Blake fought down her mental image of Adam standing over her bound and gagged parents, Wilt at their throats. "I _left_ the White Fang because they were becoming-"

"Look, we told you that we were coming here to protect the villagers and eliminate the splinter group, and you came with us anyways. Don't pretend like this wasn't your choice. What's your point?"

"Why?" Blake tried to let the tension ease out of the arc of her back. "Why are we here, doing this? Why do people call Raven the Nevermore Queen? Bella told me how she was bound. I _know_ what kind of people you are. Why are you helping people?!"

"So, that's what it is." Vernal pushed herself to her feet, her boots grating against the tiles at a lackadaisical angle. "Raven told me you would have questions, after this. I have to say, when she told me she vouched for you, I didn't believe her, but..."

Blake's eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't ignore me."

"What do you know about Anima?"

The complete reversal caught her off-guard. "I worked here sometimes. The Fang's main base is in Mistral. Why?"

"Then you know how bad people have it there." Vernal twisted to look down at her. "The trenchers, the people who live inside the mountains and along the rivers, they live in _holes._ A lot of our people used to be like them – poor, destitute, hopeless. Raven gives them hope. Unless you live on one of the mountaintops in Mistral, the kingdom doesn't do jackshit for you."

"I don't get it. Why does Raven give them hope?"

"You learned about the Animan Empire in history?"

Blake nodded, frowning. "I mean, yeah, but that's outside of the recorded era. It's just fragments, speculation off of a few old drawings and tablets."

"The legends say that long ago, the Animan empire crossed all of Remnant, had control over the entire continent." She scoffed, and Vernal shook her head in agreement. "Yeah. There's no way. We can barely stop the Grimm from destroying the kingdoms as it is, forget using ancient tech. That doesn't mean it didn't exist, though, and legends matter. They say the empire was an age of prosperity for the people of Anima, military and cultural supremacy. There was no wealth gap, no Sanians or Solitasians on the council."

"We _also_ learned in history class that the Animan empire held slaves. _Faunus_ slaves."

Vernal met Blake's gaze evenly. "Yes, but times have changed. And for people living in the trenches, they don't care about that. What matters to them is that once they were great, and they want that power back."

"Raven," Blake muttered.

"Exactly." Vernal walked to the edge of the roof, holding out an open palm. Her pale skin waxed under the moonlight, iridescent. "The old stories say that when Sanus conquered Anima, some escaped and became the tribes. People believed that one day, the tribes would unite and take back their power in Mistral, coming out of the mists like a Nevermore. Somebody powerful enough to raise an empire."

"Somebody like a maiden."

"Yes." Vernal clenched her fist and let it drop back to her side. "Even before she went to Beacon, people across the tribes knew Raven was different. They talked about the assassin of the south, with wild dark hair and a semblance powerful enough to kill warrior before they could blink. Tribes started joining up, fleeing, consolidating power. When her father died and Bella disappeared, when Raven Branwen came to power, that was the beginning of the Tribe War. Five years later, Raven had conquered the entirety of Southern Anima, killed her only true opposition, and gained a mythical power so great normal people can't even imagine it. Is it any wonder people call her Nevermore Queen?"

Blake shook her head. "So what, this whole time, my girlfriend's mom has been plotting to overthrow a kingdom and resurrect a mythical empire that may or may not actually have existed?"

Vernal sighed and pointed to the fortress that towered over the rest of the town. It was an old building, constructed of thick stone, and had stood for long before the construction of the town. "Come with me."

None of the late-night townspeople or bandits noticed the two huntresses darting along Shiroyama's rooftops. Blake followed Vernal as she picked her way up the side of the fortress, springing from window to ledge up to the roof, where they both landed on the guarded stone palisade. A startled town guard raised his weapon, only for Vernal to raise her hand. "Leave us. We will watch for now, and call you back up when we are finished." Meekly, the guard bobbed his head and darted back into the fortress, letting the trap door swing shut behind him.

Blake let her gaze run from the mountainside to the town below and out, to the vast forest that stretched east all the way to the harsh brushlands to the south and the oceans to the west, concealed by low-running hills and valleys. Under the night sky, the view was foreboding. _Grimm_ , Blake's training whispered to her. _There are Grimm out there, massive ones, and there's_ nothing _standing in their way if they want to destroy this town and its tiny walls. Nothing but the will and positivity of the villagers._

"Mistral's patrols don't come this far south, do they?" Blake murmured.

Vernal walked to her side, gaze lifted high to the vast wilderness. "Raven says her philosophy is that the weak die and the strong survive. Without Bella, she forgot that it means so much more than that. Now that Bella has returned…"

"Now what?"

"The people of Anima are strong because of Raven. She _is_ the Nevermore Queen, regardless of whether she wants the title or not, and has been for a decade." Vernal rounded on Blake, giving her a look that didn't invite her to move away. "The Grimm are growing stronger. Vale nearly fell last month. The people are restless, anxious. They see Mistral as weak, fading, and Raven fills that strength in. We're, what, fifty miles from Mistral? Three years ago, Shiroyama would have come to Mistral. Now, they're coming to _us."_

 _Restless population. Unstable government. Rising opposition._ "No," Blake whispered.

"Raven doesn't want it. None of the core does. But we're ready. We have the manpower, the supplies, the dust. All we need is the will of the Nevermore Queen behind us, and this continent will go up in flames." Vernal's eyes flickered in the moonlight. "There's going to be a revolution, Blake. Soon. And it's going to affect you or Yang, whether you like it or not."

"How-"

"Skulla – that's Astral – she's been reporting repeated White Fang sightings in Mistral, and worse," Vernal continued, ignoring her interruptions. "Emerald Sustrai has started frequenting the Underground-"

"The Underground?"

"Our center of operations in Mistral."

Blake nodded, then fully processed what she had just been told. "Wait, but if Emmy is there- and, wait- Salem- That's her next move. She's going to take Mistral, she-" Blake stepped away from Vernal, her heartbeat speeding up, thoughts spinning in her head. "I have to tell Ruby."

Only her scroll was still lying in the gutter, halfway across the town.

Vernal stepped toward her, and a sense of foreboding rose in Blake's throat. "No. You can't."

"What?! Why?"

"Because Salem is going to try to get Raven on her side, and we can't afford to lose our queen!"

Silence stretched between them for a long moment. Every instinct in Blake's body screamed for her to run, to flee Shiroyama and take the next boat as far away from Anima as possible. Vacuo, maybe, or even Menagerie. Something in Vernal's tone kept her frozen in place, her fist clenched around Gambol Shroud's blade, ready to strike out at a moment's notice. "Explain," Blake whispered. "Explain why I shouldn't attack you right now."

Vernal's hand rested on her own weapons, but she made no move to draw them. "Raven is afraid," she whispered back, stepped closer to Blake. "Afraid of Salem. Afraid of what Salem will do if she fights against her. There's a… there's a plan, and if it doesn't work, Mistral will fall and we won't be strong enough to take it back."

"What do you mean?"

Vernal held up a palm. "Haven is compromised. Hunters have been going missing all year. They've already started undermining the Underground. The White Fang's membership is exploding." She ticked down a finger for every time she said something, then made a fist.

"Stop, I get the point!" Blake batted her hand away. "Why are you telling me this? Why not Raven? If it's really so important, why can't I tell Ruby?"

"Because Raven always puts the tribe first. Because, right now, our best and only plan is to trick whoever Salem sends for long enough to steal the relic and get it as far away from here as possible, and if her side gets even the slightest inkling that we're fighting against her, Raven is dead and the cause is lost. Even if the plan succeeds, Raven will be on the run, and the tribes will be queenless. She thinks it's the only way. The core, we disagree. There _is_ no tribe unless Raven leads it. The Tribe War will have been for nothing, Anima will fall apart, Salem will control Mistral, and Raven is too blind to see it!"

Vernal broke off of her rant, breathing heavily, when Blake held up a silent hand, her eyes trained on the stone at their feet. _This is too much_. She needed to think, she needed to process, but there was no time and nowhere to go. "Forget about… about war and conspiracies and everything for a sec. What is a relic?"

Crickets chirped. "You're kidding me."

"Huh?"

"I thought you knew everything?"

"Well, clearly not." Blake crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. "Forgive me if Ozpin isn't the most reliable narrator."

"Fine." Vernal stalked to the edge of the palisade and sat down on the edge, scowling at Blake. "Look, so basically..."

Five minutes later, and Blake was more furious than she could remember being since she had found out the full truth about Bella. "That's why Salem wants the maidens?! And Ozpin thought it was a good idea to put those things under fucking _schools?!_ "

"Keep your voice down, do you want the whole village to know we're talking?" Vernal snapped.

Closing her eyes, Blake took a series of long, deep breaths. _If that bastard wasn't already dead…_ "I'm telling all of this to Yang, and you can't fucking stop me," she muttered.

Vernal massaged her temples. "Yeah. Fine. Look, Blake, Raven and I both agreed that you needed to see what we do if you really want to stay with us. Now that you've been on a raid, it's up to you. You and Yang can walk away from our camp as soon as we get back, go back to wherever Raven's ex is holed up and forget about all of this. We'll pull off the plan, or we won't – it doesn't really matter, at this point. Or, you can stay. Fight for us. And if we're really fucking lucky and we can pull the core's plan off, Raven will live, the Branwen Tribe will still be strong enough to fight a war, and the relic will be far, far away from Salem."

"You're kidding me, right?" Blake laughed, but it sounded fake even to her. _Of course I'm getting dragged into another conspiracy. Is my life ever going to be normal again?_ "You're telling me either I can let Raven die and Salem win, or I can go along with some insane, last-ditch effort plan, behind Raven's back, to stop her from _not_ trying to take over Mistral?"

"Yes," Vernal deadpanned.

"That's not even a choice!"

"There's always a choice. You've just already made your decision." Vernal jumped off the edge of the roof, landing even-footed on the fortress roof. "I still need to hear you say it."

"And there's no other way?"

"Nope."

"And you _swear_ I won't have to keep Yang in the dark?"

"I'm pretty sure it'll be impossible without her."

 _What's that supposed to mean?!_ Fed up, Blake snapped, "Fine. Tell me what this stupid plan is."

"Simple." Pointing at Blake, Vernal smirked at her. "Raven goes off with Salem's people to get the relic, whenever they track us down. While that's happening, you'll be waiting outside until Raven turns on them. You and Yang will help Raven beat them, then the two of you convince her to give the relic up."

Blake blinked, then again, trying to make sure she had heard Vernal right. "Your entire plan is for me and Yang to talk to Raven? That's it?"

Vernal shrugged. "Yang and Bella are probably the only people who can convince her not to keep the relic herself. Bella's in Vale. Yang isn't."

 _That's… That's so stupid. I can't even begin to describe the number of ways in which that's stupid._ "How is Yang supposed to convince Raven of _anything_? She won't even get out of bed!"

"That's where you come in." Jumping onto the edge of the roof, Vernal looked back at Blake. "None of this matters if Yang doesn't agree to it. Maybe we'll come up with some other brilliant plan, but I doubt it. She's your girlfriend, right? Remind her of why she fights, or some bullshit. I don't get huntresses. Point is, if she doesn't want to listen, then this conversation might as well have not happened."

Before Blake could respond, Vernal had stepped off the roof and dropped down into the inky night. Blake blankly stared at where Raven's second-in-command had been, numb as she tried to process everything that she had just been told.

 _Why am I getting dragged into something like this again?_

Okay. Getting Yang out of bed. Blake could do that, she was pretty sure. It might take some coaxing or another argument, but she could figure it out. But convincing Raven to start a war? To put Yang in danger again? Was that even possible?

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Blake had managed to wander back across the maze of rooftops to where she had left her scroll, lost in thought the whole time. Silicon clicked back, and the screen burst to life. Blake stared at her text notifications for a long time before she finally found the courage to open the app and read what Yang had been sending her.

 **Yang: Blake?**

 **Yang: are you just going to ignore me now too?**

 **Yang: okay fuck you too**

 **Yang: I cleaned up the stupid lunch, if it makes you feel better**

 **Yang: you left? you just left and didn't tell me?**

 **Yang: Blake?**

 **Yang: Blake**

 **Yang: don't ignore me!**

 **Yang: look I'm sorry, okay?**

 **Yang: text me**

 **Yang: Blake please answer me Silo said you're fighting other bandits**

 **Yang: are you okay?**

 **Yang: Blake?**

And finally, the text that had sent while Blake was brooding over Ilia's text.

 **Yang: please be okay**

 _I just left her alone at Raven's camp,_ _exactly like I promised not to._

Before she knew what she was doing, Blake had already dialed Yang's number and lifted up her scroll, trying not to cry as she listened to the low buzz of her phone. _It's two in the morning, she's not going to pick up._ By the third ring, she was ready to put the phone away and-

 _"_ _Blake?"_ Yang asked quietly, her voice static-y from the bad reception.

Closing her eyes, Blake sank down the roof to the shingles. She cradled her scroll with both hands, as if afraid it might suddenly disappear and the conversation would end before it had begun. "Yang..."

There was a long silence. _"You didn't tell me you were leaving."_

"I know. I'm sorry." Blake bowed her head.

 _"..._ _I thought you had gotten hurt. Or died. Or something, I don't even know."_

"Yeah."

A long shaky breath came from the other end of the line. _"Are you going to come back?"_

 _Yang…_ "Yes. Yang, I'll _always_ come back. I'm sorry, I promised you I wouldn't leave, and I did, and I'm the shittiest girlfriend ever and-"

 _"_ _Stop."_ Blake froze, clutching the scroll tighter. _"I… I'm scared, Blake._ _I want to get up and fight, I want to eat, I hate making you do all this stupid bullshit because of me, but what the fuck am I supposed to do? I wasn't strong enough to do_ anything _before. I couldn't protect you, or Ruby, or- or- anyone! How can I- How am I supposed to be strong now when I couldn't be before?"_

Yang's confession came out tumbled, rushed – Blake wanted desperately to be at her side, to hug her and tell her everything would be alright, but she was on the other side of Anima and she wasn't sure everything _would_ be alright anymore. "Then promise me," she whispered into the receiver. "Promise me that you won't give up, that you'll get up, that you'll try. I'm coming back, I'm here for you, I won't leave. Just- You are strong, Yang. You're the strongest person I know. Please, just- just promise me."

 _"_ _I see him, Blake."_ Yang's voice cracked on her name, fraught with emotion. _"Every night. I see Adam, killing D-Dane, and then he turns, and he kills you, and then- and then-"_

Blake curled in on herself at the mention of Dane's name. The edge of her Scroll pressed into her cheek, painful. "I see him too. When I sleep, I- I see him too."

 _"_ _You'll come back?"_ Yang asked, sounding far younger than her eighteen years.

"Yeah."

A short silence. " _I promise."_ Then, the line went dead.

On a rooftop in Shiroyama, under the starry Animan summer sky, Blake curled up into a tiny ball and wept, clutching her scroll to her chest as if it was Yang's hand. Somewhere on the other side of Anima, she wondered if Yang was doing the same.

* * *

"Klein!"

Klein staggered as Weiss sprinted out of the SDC aircraft and tackled him with a hug. Her aircraft had landed at the Schnee family's private dock, positioned at the edge of the wealthiest section of Atlas' magnificent floating city. The Schnee mansion overlooked the water below, taking up acres of private land in the most expensive place to own real estate on Remnant. When she had been younger, in the summer, Weiss would walk to the edge of the dust plateau and stare out into the clouds or the factories below. Even as a huntress, seeing the floating city coming into view took her breath away.

Laughing, Klein hugged her back. "Ah, Weiss, it's so good to have you home. You were dearly missed over winter break.

Letting go and dropping to the ground, Weiss snorted. "Somehow, I seriously doubt that."

"Well, _I_ dearly missed you," Klein said with a chuckle, nodding to the servants carrying Weiss' bags inside. He gestured towards the sweeping promenade leading into the mansion. "Come in, come in. You ought to eat lunch before speaking with your father, and I made your favorite..."

 _Lunch. Lunch is good._ Eating meant that Weiss could stop worrying about the conversation to come, even if it was just for a moment. "Beef bourguignon?" Weiss asked hopefully, and Klein nodded. She broke out into a grin and flung herself at him again. "Oh, Klein, you're the best!"

Klein just gave her a warm smile and led her inside.

The Schnee family mansion sprawled over fifteen thousand square feet, complete with courtyards, spiraling staircases and towers, a pool complex, and a stunning forest open only to Jacques' favored members of the Atlesian Council for wild game hunting. Weiss herself had a six-room suite, complete with a personal sitting room, a bedroom, a study, two walk-in closets, and a master bathroom. Her other rooms included a music room for her singing lesson, a combat room (Winter's was next door), and one of the mansion's four towers (her mother's suite was in one, and Whitley and her father each had one.

The inside of the mansion shimmered crystal blue and gold. Weiss and Klein walked side by side through the halls, Weiss recounting the adventures and tragedy of the past few months. Klein led her to the third casual dining hall, where a simple twelve person table was already set out completely, steaming dishes at the far end of the table. Graciously taking her seat at one end, she looked up at Klein hopefully. "Would you like to join me?"

Klein stared at the beef dish wistfully but shook his head. "Ah, you remember the rules, Weiss. If your father or younger brother were to wander in..."

Weiss sighed, deflating in her chair slightly. "Of course. I understand." She didn't, really. The table wasn't so different from the one in the Beacon cafeteria. The twelve-person table was enough to seat all four of her teammates _and_ Team JNPR – well, Pyrrha and Nora – _and_ Team SSSN, with room to spare. Instead, here she was, alone.

Again.

World class beef bourguignon wasn't the same after sharing every meal with friends for months.

It was harder to talk to Klein when he was forced to stand behind her, so much of the meal passed in silence. When Weiss finished, she got to her feet and pushed her bowl away. _Let's just get this over with._ "I want to go see my father now," she announced, and Klein nodded graciously.

"You know the way?"

"Yes." Weiss gave him a pinched smile. "Thank you, Klein."

Klein bowed to her. "Of course, it's my pleasure."

Her father's study was in the east wing on the second floor, at the end of a long airy hallway that looked out over the Drop and the wide plain stretching out below. Family portraits hung on the walls, portraits of Weiss' grandfather and her mother, portraits from a happier time. Weiss brooded over what she planned to say as she walked. _He's going to ask me about the awful interview… Gods, I had this whole stupid conversation planned out, then Lisa Lavender just_ had _to ruin it!_

 _Just don't linger on the past._ As much as Weiss hated Qrow Branwen, she still trusted his advice. _I_ will _return to Vale, one way or another. No matter what Father says, he can't stop me._

"Hello, sister."

Whitley Schnee leaned against a marble column, giving her an obnoxious wave when she noticed him. Weiss' mood dropped even further. "Whitley."

"What's this, not even a hug hello for your dear brother?" he sniped, extending his arms. Reluctantly, Weiss embraced her brother.

"Is father here?"

Whitley inclined his head. "I hope you've thought through what you're going to say. Father was _very_ displeased when he returned from Vale empty-handed, and when that interview played on TV..." He raised a hand and swept past her, leaving her path to the office clear.

Weiss scowled at the ground for a moment, then shook her head and strode to the office. _Well, he certainly got more arrogant while I was gone._

Jacques looked as a sharp knock came from the door. "Come in," he called, his passing interest gone as he returned his attention to the financial documents scattered across his desk.

Weiss carefully opened the door and slipped inside, standing on the far side of the room. Her father's study was of a traditional sort. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ledgers and financial reports and hundreds of gifted books Weiss knew for a fact her father had never even bothered to pick up. "Hello, father," she said, politely inclining her head to him.

Sighing, Jacques placed his pen on the desk and rested his chin on his interlocked fingers. "Weiss. You may sit."

No comments on her manners, nothing but neutrality. _Well, it could have started worse._ Warily, Weiss approached the desk and pulled up a chair. "Thank you," she said, focusing on keeping her posture stiff but relaxed. Weiss had brought her father's leadership book on the plane with her, the one she had tried to use in the fall but disregarded for everything except the dance. There was a sizable section on proper manners, and she had needed the fifteen-hour flight as a refresher.

Jacques raised a questioning eyebrow, but let it drop after a moment when Weiss stoically refused to react. Leaning forward, he studied her face intently. "I have been reading reports on your actions during the… massacre in Vale. Your heroism is commendable. Our company's stock rose three percent from the publicity, between your actions and Winter's appointment."

Weiss couldn't keep her surprise off her face – had her father just complimented her? "Father?" she murmured.

Steadfastly ignoring her, Jacques picked another folder off his desk. "Your grades have been… acceptable, and I was pleased to learn that you had been selected to lead your team, even though some of your… _teammates_ leave something to be desired." Weiss opened her mouth to retort – _How_ dare _he talk about Blake like that?_ \- but he cut her off. "I received a personal call from Headmaster Goodwitch praising your leadership and bravery after my visit, which, no doubt, was motivated by her, ah, _desire_ to keep Vale afloat. Moreover, she mentioned your work with the relief effort, although we will be… discussing your interviewing skills." Jacques pursed his lips in displeasure.

"Thank you," Weiss said, stunned even as she cringed at his mention of the interview. _Could this mean he is actually pleased with my progress?_

Jacques sighed again, closing his eyes. "I must admit, I was rather taken aback by your… reaction to my presence in Vale. I had half a mind to strip your inheritance and give it to Whitley." Weiss' eyes went wide. "However, after further consideration, I have decided I cannot fault you for learning the leadership skills I sent you to Vale to learn in the first place." His eyes snapped open, and he gave Weiss a chilly stare. "Do not prove my judgment wrong."

Weiss' back shot upwards, and she stammered, "Yes- Of- of course!" The fact that she had almost lost her title of heiress sunk in like a spear, chilling her to the bone.

"Do not stammer. It is unbecoming of an heiress." Jacques rose from his chair and faced his bookshelf, running his finger along the dusty spines. "I will allow you to return to Beacon. The terrorist attack on the Vytal Festival has been _extraordinarily_ destructive to our country. I'm sure that you are aware that when Vale threatened to declare war after the massacre, the council forged a defense pact with Vale pledging out _human_ troops and support in case of another attack. Understand that if that pact fails and Atlas and Vale go to war, you will return home _immediately._ "

Weiss nodded. She had anticipated her would ask this of her. "Understood."

Jacques nodded curtly. "If your grades slip or another tragedy of this magnitude occurs under your watch, Whitley will become my heir. You will continue to assist in the relief efforts. If you are interviewed, you speak as the heiress of the SDC. You will call me once a month to inform me of your progress. I have already restored credit to your card. Do not embarrass this family or make me regret this choice."

"Yes, father."

Jacques turned to face her directly. "Should you continue to succeed in your studies, you will return to Atlas next summer and I will begin to instruct you on the matter of leading this company. You _will_ spend next summer here, no matter the circumstances. Do you understand?"

"Yes, father," Weiss said. A million questions and protests were at the tip of her tongue, but she didn't _dare_ say anything that might make her father change his mind.

"And you will take a class that I have already scheduled later this afternoon on how to give a… _proper_ interview. I will not have you speak so disgracefully in front of the world again. Do you understand?"

This time, Weiss couldn't hide her mortification. Her face burning with shame, she hung her head and tried to push the humiliation out of her mind. "Yes, father."

Sitting back down, Jacques nodded to her and returned his attention to his papers. "You are dismissed. Arrangements have been made for you to return to Vale the day after tomorrow."

Weiss stood up and walked as calmly as possible to the door. "Thank you, father," she said, inclining her head to him again, then left the room. Shutting the door behind her, she leaned against it and took a deep shuddering breath, shaking.

 _He would have disinherited me if I hadn't stood up to him in the car the day of the massacre._

Weiss clenched her fists, head leaning sideways against the door so she could look down the hallway. She could see the gold frame where she knew her family portrait rested: her, Winter, Whitley, Mother, and Father, happy.

The portrait of her family before Winter had been disinherited, before Mother had taken up her drink, before Father had torn their family apart.

 _I'm going to take this company back. I'm going to restore the SDC to what it was before Father, to what Grandfather had wanted._ She had sworn it to herself all those years ago, listening at the door as Father and Mother had argued for the final time, when Father revealed that he had taken over the company for nothing but the wealth. Now she swore it to herself again, the fire renewed in her chest.

She knew what it meant to be a leader. She knew what it meant to protect people. All she had to do was protect her inheritance, and someday the SDC would become a force for good in the world again.

And never, _ever_ again would she fail like she had with the massacre.

Pushing away from the door, Weiss held her head high and went to find Klein.

 _I promise, Mother. I promise that I'll make things right._

* * *

 **[A/N] We did it, guys! We're back to where we were before the rewrite, and I'm really happy with the result. To anyone who read both the old and new versions, feedback would be awesome! Not much to say about this chapter other than I'm happy with it and the Blake scene was a pain in the ass. Who doesn't love cute Ruby weapon fluff? Also, Zwei!**

 **In other news, I'm watching gen:Lock and it's** _ **fantastic**_ **. Anyone who's down for another RT show, I highly recommend trying it out.**

 **Also, thank you guys for all the love, and I love y'all right back. 100k views is insane! Hope everyone's having a lovely February, and I'll see you in a couple days~**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 2/23/19**


	36. V4 - Resolve

Volume Four, Chapter Six: Resolve

* * *

re:Bound

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 3/10/19

Beta: Vixie

* * *

 _Where are we going, Bella?_

 _You'll understand when we get there. Trust me._

Ruby frowned as Bella led her through the industrial district towards the wrecked part of Vale. They had been hanging out by the port after lunch when Bella had declared they had something else to do and dragged her into the city. August hung over the concrete in a shimmering haze, cicadas buzzing in the nearby trees. People around them seemed to be in good spirits. Ruby was too – a month and a half out from the attack, with relief efforts over and the rebuilding in full swing, life had settled back into the normal pattern of summer.

 _Isn't that crazy?_ _It all still feels so fresh, and at the same time everything is back to normal._

Bella gave Ruby a wry smile, her hands buried in the pockets of one of Yang's bomber jackets. _Well, that's life, right?_

 _I don't get it._ Ruby shifted closer to Bella to avoid a passing stroller, shooting a smile at the kid inside. _Ooh, cute kid!_

 _Don't worry about it, Rose. And here we are!_ Stopping short, Bella turned and pointed at a nearby skyscraper, a grand affair with modern glass and darkened steel shooting into the sky above them. Ruby craned her neck trying to see the top.

 _Woah._

Bella smirked at her over her shoulder. _What, you've never seen a skyscraper?_

 _No, I… I've seen the bottom, but I've never looked all the way up._ _It's so tall!_ Ruby stared upwards for another moment before a thought occurred to her. _Why are we here?_

 _Well, I might kinda own the entire building now._

Ruby stared at Bella.

Bella stared at Ruby.

"What."

* * *

"So, let me get this straight." Ruby followed Bella out of the elevator into a low-lit maintenance hallway on the fifty-forth floor. "The entire time you've been in my head – almost an entire year – you've been sitting Roman Torchwick's _multi-million dollar criminal empire_?!"

Bella's smug exuberance had vanished, replaced by a deep blush of genuine embarrassment. _I didn't realize how much he left me, at first,_ she admitted. _I knew_ _Roman had a will_ _, but I was too far gone in the fall to figure it out –_ _m_ _ore obsessed with getting revenge and all that._ _I didn't figure it out until I reconnected with Mom._ _The government nabbed a lot of it_ _for posthumous evidence, and Cinder destroyed some assets to cover her tracks. Some of the associates we used to work with took parts they knew about._ _Mom_ _and I decided to let those go; we figured if we ever want them,_ _we'll just steal them back_ _, right?_

"Right?" Ruby echoed.

 _But Roman was smart. Most of what we owned wasn't even under his name. So when I opened my bank account in March, after the whole mess with the dance was over, I found out he left_ all _of it to me._ _I-_ Bella took a shaky breath and shook her head. _I told him not to. I told him_ _that_ _if he ever died, all that money would become fodder for the next person who held the bond. I told him it would paint a target on my back._ _I bet he_ _only said he didn't_ _to shut me up. He was an idiot like that sometimes._

Ruby could feel her grief but also her acceptance, and found herself lost on how to react. "How much are you talking about?"

 _Billions of Lien. Real estate in all four kingdoms._ _Tons of s_ _tock. We're fucking loaded, Rose, if that's what you're asking._ Bella laughed. _It's overwhelming. The worst part is most of it, Roman made legally. He was brilliant about financial stuff. The only reason he kept stealing after we got out of Mistral was for the thrill. I told him he would get himself killed, and he always said he didn't care._

Ruby stared at the floor and shuffled her feet, trying not to care too much and failing. _I killed him._

 _I know._

 _It's-_

 _Stop._ Bella stopped short in the center of the concrete corridor and grabbed Ruby's shoulder. _I don't blame you for killing Roman. I told him he was going to get himself killed,_ _remember_ _?_

 _Yeah, I guess so…_ Lights flickered, whispering through the long shadows on the wall. Ruby closed her eyes, listening to the creaking of steel as a gust of wind rocked the building. "Is that why you didn't tell me about this?"

 _I always was going to show you Roman,_ _but it's hard_ _. For both of us._ Bella shrugged, letting go of Ruby and leaning back against the wall. _Besides, you've never cared about money. I needed to sort through things first, and the attack_ _messed things up_ _._ _I figured now was as good a time as any, before we go back to Beacon._

That made sense, but Ruby still felt like she was missing something. _Wait, so that's it? We have lots of money? You could've_ told _me that, dumbass, I wouldn't have cared. And why are we in a weird hallway, anyways?_

 _The only way you can get to the penthouse is through the back corridor,_ Bella muttered. She stopped at an unremarkable gray door and pulled a keycard out of her pocket. _Damn paranoid bastard._

Ruby blinked. "Penthouse?"

Bella smirked and pushed the door open. Inside, a lift glowed soft blue, natural light drifting into the shaft from above. _Wait and see._

At her gesture, the duo stepped onto the lift and Ruby's jaw dropped. Bella's apartment was a grand studio, with an open kitchen and dining area that sloped into a sitting area with leather couches and a black and white zigzag carpet. To the left, a wide computer bank and holoprojector sat darkened in the center of the room, bulletin boards with maps and paper hanging from the surrounding walls. Before Ruby, windows sprawled out in one hundred eighty degrees, giving a panoramic view of Vale from high above the city.

"Wow," Ruby whispered. She stepped off the lift into the apartment, hesitant. Entering other people's homes had always set Ruby's social awkwardness off; it was one of the reasons she had had such a hard time making friends at Signal. Bella's apartment was too high-class; she was a stranger in its midst, even with Bella's emotions whispering _home_ through their bond. "You lived here?"

 _Yeah. Way better than some tent in the middle of Anima, right?_ Bella followed her starstruck gaze around the room and could only shake her head. _This was home, for a long time._

 _Home…_

Ruby drifted past Bella, walking past the couches to the open glass pane. Pressing her hands against the warm pane, she looked past her reflection – _silver gleaming in the sunlight where her eye should be –_ and out into the city. The three o'clock sun burned hazy behind the clouds, casting a midsummer lull over Vale. Ruby's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the city. Pock marks covered the ruins of the Commercial District, emptied craters left from where each massive Atlesian battleship had crashed. Scorch marks blackened the remaining buildings like lashes from a whip. Ruby could trace the main avenue where the protest had been, or what little was left of it. It was like looking at one of the old photos from the Great War in school, only this was real and so much worse.

This was destruction looked like. This was what evil left in its wake.

 _Rose…_

"I hadn't seen it from above," Ruby murmured.

Bella walked to her side and lifted her chin, standing tall before the window. _I didn't mean to make it fresh again. I…_

Ruby clenched her fists against the glass, her knuckles dragging against the clear pane. If she shattered the glass, how long would it take to fall all the way to the street below? "This is why, isn't it? Why we go to Beacon, why people become huntresses. It isn't to be a hero, or to get stronger. It's to stop this from happening."

A cloud drifted to the side, sending sunlight beaming into their faces. The heat was harsh, but neither of them made a move to shade their faces. Bella's eyes were both pink, and she made no move to comfort Ruby. _You have to see it for yourself,_ Bella murmured through their link. _Augustus used to say that to me. You can dream and hope and train all you want, but until you see it yourself, it's not real. It's not yours. I remember the day I saw war for the first time – not violence, war. It was the first big battle against another major tribe, too big for me to take down,_ _too many semblance to infiltrate. Augustus, he… he didn't fight. He took me, and we watched the battle from on top of a hill_ _overlooking_ _the pla_ _in_ _. There was no strategy, no tactics. We lined up, they lined up, and they ran at each other and started hacking each other to death. That was the day he called me his Hand for the first time. War doesn't make sense. It just takes and takes and takes until there's nothing left to give. And that war, that battlefield, it's mine, Rose. I can never stop fighting, now, even if I wanted to._ And she could see it, bleeding from Bella's memory into hers – how the open field burned, how bodies had piled in cairns only to be blown apart by dust. She watched them die from the hill, and didn't move, couldn't.

Bella pulled the memory back before it could become Ruby's, too. "Wait," Ruby whispered. "It doesn't have to be yours, I can-"

 _No, Rose. You already bear enough of your own burdens. Let me hold mine, if only so you don't have to._

Ruby let her fists fall to the side, brushing against the tattered edge of her cloak. Vale's scars didn't fade, didn't shatter like Bella's illusions. Her eyes glinted in the sun. "It won't happen again," she whispered.

 _I don't know if we can stop it._ Bella reached out, and Ruby let her ease her fingers open and hold her hand tight. _It might be too late._

"Then we'll train. We'll train, and we'll fight, and we'll stop it anyways." Ruby's eyes hardened, and her resolve steadied. "That's why I'm a huntress. That's why I can't give up, not now. And that's why we're here, isn't it?"

 _We have money. Resources. We-_ Bella's thoughts caught, and she swallowed. _We can fight it. Both of us. We-_

Ruby had never felt more certain in her life. Unable to verbalize her swirling thoughts, she slipped back into their mindstream. _We can change things, Bella. We could change things._

 _Mom. I've already given her most of the property Roman had in Anima, but we-_

 _-Salem doesn't have an army, right? And if we could fight against the Grimm-_

 _-right, and we have Pyrrha and Mom-_

 _-we could find the other maidens-_

 _-kill Cinder first-_

 _-how-_

 _-army, Rose. A whole army-_

 _-but she could burn them-_

 _-no, but two maidens against one-_

 _-but what about Salem-_

 _-we'll defeat her too-_

 _-this is crazy. You can't just beat the Grimm, they-_

 _-I know, this is naive-_

 _-stupid-_

 _-if Ozpin couldn't-_

 _-and just a few people pulled off the attack-_

 _-we'll die-_

 _-but this is worth dying for-_

 _-it is-_

 _-so it doesn't matter. We have the tools. This is our fight-_

 _-our fight-_

 _-so I guess we just have to win-_

 _-then that's what we'll do-_

The sun dipped below another cloud, shading the penthouse back into burnt gray. Ruby and Bella stared at each other, hand in hand, identical determined grins working their way across both their faces.

"We have to train."

 _And figure out how to convince Mom to fight Salem._

"Think we can do it?"

 _Well, there's only one way to find out._

Bella let go of Ruby and disappeared down a side hallways, leaving Ruby standing alone before the damaged city. Reaching behind her, Ruby drew Rising Thorn and activated the naginata form. The dark blade extended above her head, gears thrumming in her grasp. How would her life have been different if Summer was still alive? Would they have been able to stop the attack? Ruby sank into a black leather couch, running a thumb along the side of her blade.

"We'll protect people," she murmured to the blade, her eyes lingering on the rose insignia she had spray-painted onto the hilt in the spring. "We have to." _I should go and visit Mom's grave, sometime soon. I haven't been since before the attack…_ Bella hummed in agreement in the back of her mind.

A few minutes later, Bella re-emerged from the back room. Ruby had spaced out, relaxed by the warmth and the sun. _Rose, check it out._

 _Mmm…_ Ruby yawned and turned around in her seat. _Woah._

Bella's old combat outfit was gone. In its place, Bella wore a brown jacket with a pink interior and exposed shoulders, a white vest, and matching white pants. She struck a pose and grinned at Ruby. _What do you think? I've been wearing jumpsuits for a year now, I figured it was time for a change._

Ruby tore her eyes away from Bella's cleavage for long enough to be annoyed with her. _You mean you dragged me here so I could watch you try on clothes?!_

 _Pretty much, yeah. All of the, well-_ Bella eyed Rising Thorn as she gestured out the window. _I wasn't lying when I said I wasn't trying to bring that up today._

"Why am I not even surprised?" Ruby sighed, slumping back on the couch. _You look great, Bella. You could wear basically anything and you would look great._

 _Aw, that's the spirit. I take it you'll leave if I go through the other six outfits?_

 _Yup._

 _No fun._ Bella crossed her arms and shook her head. _Well, at least we still can go shopping for you!_

Dread washed over Ruby. _Shopping? With you?_

Bella walked over to the sofa and leaned over the back, smirking as Ruby cowered deeper into the cushions. She poked Ruby's nose, making Ruby flinch. _You only have one combat outfit left, and I already told Tai not to order you another one. You can't avoid it! Besides, I remembered how much you wanted to go shopping with Weiss and Blake when the semester started. You_ like _shopping._

 _I like shopping with Dad, when we finished in ten minutes! Not spending five hours looking for- for-_ Ruby blanched as she uttered the dreaded word. - _lingerie._

Soaking in her fear, Bella cackled and dragged Ruby off the couch. _C'mon, Rose. We can go save the world later. Right now, you and I have a date at Sapphire's!_

"No!" Ruby cried, waving Rising Thorn as Bella dragged her back onto the lift. "Unhand me this instant, you- you- scoundrel! I will throw out _all_ the ice cream!

 _Too late!_

"Bellaaaaa!"

Needless to say, it was a long afternoon for Ruby Rose.

* * *

At the edge of one of Atlas' famed plazas, a famous tea shop with a pre-war facade was the center of a hive of attention. Atlesian soldiers in full armor stood guard by the door and in the corners of the outdoor patio. A small crowd had gathered outside earlier, climbing over a historical fountain and crowding the sidewalk to get a better look until harried waiters had turned them away. A meeting between the heiress of the SDC and the general of the Atlesian Military always made news, and following the attack, the people of Atlas were eager for any good news they could find.

Weiss and Winter payed the onlookers and the guards no mind.

"I can't believe he didn't disown me. I can't believe he was thinking about disowning me." Weiss leaned into the table, steadying a hand from trembling around her teacup. They sat close together, speaking in hushed tones for privacy.

Winter shook her head, staring into her drink. "He wants his control over you back. Once he realized I was in too deep with Ironwood, he disinherited me at the first opportunity he got. Clearly, he thinks he still has a chance to… mold you."

Weiss' lip curled in disgust. "I'll play his game," she whispered back. "My teammates will support me no matter what. All that matters is that he's letting me go back to Beacon, to my team. Everything else… It's a small price to pay." Weiss looked at Winter with steel in her eyes. "He won't change how I feel."

Winter nodded. "You've changed since I saw you in May," she noted, taking a sip from her tea.

Weiss shrugged. "You knew about the protest. About the massacre. Nothing I could have done would have stopped it. It was a battle I couldn't win, and we fought anyways. We fought, and my friends died and lost limbs and went comatose. What happened to me? Nothing."

"Survivor's guilt," Winter murmured.

"Maybe." A cool breeze whispered through the vines, blowing a strand of loose hair from Weiss' face. "I don't have time to feel guilty about things beyond my control anymore, Winter. I told you about our training mission. I was guilty for weeks, and for what? My 'dead' teammates turned out to be traitors who killed two of my friends. I- I can't go through that again. My team can't. We'll break. I can't linger on the past. I have to be a strong enough leader to not let it happen again."

Winter's face softened. "You've grown so much, Weiss. I could never have imagined my spoiled brat of a sister would come so far."

Weiss rolled her eyes at the backhanded compliment. "Becoming the leader of the SDC is a battle I _can_ win. I won't give my inheritance up, not now."

"I would expect nothing less of you. You always were stubborn."

Sitting back in her chair, Weiss noted the lines under her sister's eyes. _I've never seen her this tired..._ "How is your promotion?"

"Challenging." Winter sighed. "James trained me to take on his role for _years_ , but I never expected to have to become a general so soon. The army is in complete disarray – we lost half of our navy. Half! Gods, a semblance of that magnitude… Such betrayal, I..." Weiss knew her sister was far too proud to show any sign of despair in public, but she still could feel it rolling off of Winter in waves. She reached out and touched Winter's wrist, and Winter gave her a small grateful expression. "Thank you. James was my mentor, my friend. If I had known his plans, I-" Winter took a deep breath and straightened in her seat. "I think I would have killed him myself."

"I'm sorry," Weiss murmured.

"Don't be." Winter lifted her tea cup and took another long sip. "Our situations are not dissimilar, Weiss. I will do everything in my power to ensure you are able to succeed."

"Tactical training."

"Oh?"

Weiss pushed away from the table, pursing her lips. She had been mulling over the protest for weeks, and Winter was her best bet for getting advice. "During the protest, my team split up, and that's why we got hurt. I saved a lot of lives, but alone I couldn't do anything for anyone further away from me than a few blocks. If I had made Yang and Blake stay with me, or if I had been on the front lines with Ruby and Bella, I could have-"

"Stop." Winter held up a hand and gave Weiss an intense gaze. "You just told me you can't linger on the past, so what is this? First of all, you saved hundreds of lives by stalling the Paladins and pulling people from the wreckage. I read your mission report. That is commendable in such a horrific situation. Secondly, I understand you are upset over your teammate's injuries, but when you have multiple priority threats, there will be times when you are forced to split up. Your initial decision to split up was correct, necessary. You have done a fine job as team leader, and I will not allow you to revise the past to fit your guilt."

"But-"

"No but." Narrowing her eyes, Winter leaned forwards. "If you want to drill tactics, work with your team and you will grow. However, that's not what your true concern is."

Weiss frowned. "But what if-"

"You want to get stronger, correct?"

"I mean, yes, but I don't see how that'll help my teammates if we get separated."

"This isn't about your teammates, Weiss." Winter's eyes met hers, searching. "This is about you. And I think you already know what I'm going to ask."

"What?"

Winter set her cup down. "Your semblance."

"My… semblance?" Weiss repeated.

Winter sighed. "From your tone, I take it you haven't thought about it since you left Atlas last summer. Have you worked on it at all?"

"Of course I have! I'm getting better and better with my glyphs! I've even started _Time Dilation_!" Weiss said in an offended tone, unable to meet Winter's eyes.

"You know that's not what I mean."

"Okay, fine! I still can't Summon," Weiss admitted, crossing her arms. "You know I can't-"

"Enough with that. Every Schnee for hundreds of years has been able to summon." Winter's tone made Weiss straighten in her seat. "If you want to protect people, want to beat Father at his own game, you need to learn how to master your own powers." Weiss opened her mouth to protest, but Winter shook her head. "If you know about-" Winter's voice dropped to a hushed whisper. " _Salem,_ you are in more danger than you can understand. Leadership is important, but never, _ever_ forget that you are just as important as your teammates."

"I don't understand," Weiss whispered back.

"This is a lesson James taught me. It doesn't matter whether your troops will follow you into battle or how skilled they are. If you can't inspire greatness, if you can't lift every soldier from their darkest moment, you may win the battle but you will lose the war." Winter forced Weiss to meet her eyes. "You've got enough knowledge to command a country and the heart to make people follow you. Your teammates trust and love you, but that's _not enough_. _You_ have to be strong, Weiss. You have to carry your team on your back, even when you're fighting alone."

The plaza bustled with noise and life around them. Dappled light filtered through the vines. "How?"

Winter rose to her feet and turned away. "Keep faith in your team. Never stop learning. But if you want to be strong, master your Summoning." Unclipping her sword, she plunged the tip in between the cobblestones. The icy projection of a Beowulf came to life beside her, mist steaming from its eyes. Nodding, Winter turned back to her sister. "Master yourself, and you'll win your wars, Weiss. That's how to lead. That's how you'll lead, once you figure it out."

"Winter?" Weiss murmured in near awe as Winter dispelled her illusion.

Winter smiled at her, and held out a hand. "Come on, there isn't enough space here. I'm sure we can find space in Father's forest to practice."

Weiss steeled herself and took Winter's hand, a swell of determination taking root in her chest. "Wait, Winter, before we go, can I ask you a question?"

Her sister paused and nodded. "Of course, anything."

Lifting her chin high, Weiss smiled. "Is there any chance you could get a high-end prosthetic right arm?"

* * *

 _She's gone._

Relaxing from her meditative pose, Pyrrha fell back against the soft moss beneath the great oak tree she had chosen for her training. The forest behind the Xiao-Long household was peaceful in the early morning, the dappled canopy above rustling in the wind. For the first time in six long weeks, her mind was quiet.

 _I did it. I blocked Cinder out._

After the attack, Pyrrha had been assaulted by a barrage of feelings and memories for Cinder, unfocused and violent. Luckily, the other maiden was unconscious for most of the first day, but even without Cinder actively attempting to invade her mind, Pyrrha had still been unable to control the flow of thoughts. Qrow and Raven had recognized the danger. If Salem had an in and could track Pyrrha's location, she could send assassins at any time. So, when Pyrrha had woken the day after, the Qrow, Raven, and Tai had spoken to her alone.

 _"You need a teacher," Raven deadpanned. Pyrrha hadn't moved from her spot on Yang's bed, clutching Crocea Mors to her chest like a lifeline. "We don't have the time to let you figure out your powers on your own."_

 _"What happened to me?" Pyrrha whispered. "Why is there pressure-"_

 _"It's a temporary block," Qrow growled. "_ _An_ _associate came in last night and used their… semblance to keep Cinder out of your head, at least partially." He and Raven exchanged a shifty glance that went right over Pyrrha's head._

 _"They managed to block Cinder's thoughts and her ability to track you." Raven began to pace, ignoring_ _Tai when he tried to get her attention_ _. "You still have to deal with Cinder's emotions, and the block will break down over time. You have to learn how to build mental defenses with your aura and magic. We have a teacher for you, but they won't reveal themselves until you can guarantee that you can keep Cinder out of your memories. Do you understand?"_

 _Pyrrha didn't respond, and Tai stepped forward to grab his ex-wife's shoulder. "Rae, take it easy, she just lost-"_

 _Raven shrugged his hand off. "Nikos. Do. You. Understand?"_

 _"Yes," Pyrrha whispered._

 _Raven nodded. "Good. See it done." Turning on her heel, the Nevermore Queen strode out of the room, Qrow and Tai following in her wake._

Now, Pyrrha could only wonder who would be able to teach her about her powers. Who would be able to teach a maiden? Another maiden? The mysterious person with the blue aura who had been able to block Cinder off? It made her head spin, knowing such a potent semblance had been in her mind without her knowledge. Mental semblances were controlled by the kingdoms – for one to be available so fast, Ozpin must have trusted them.

On top of that, knowing that the only thing standing between her and Cinder was her own mental defenses was terrifying. Ruby and Bella had been invaluable during her training. Pyrrha quickly discovered both girls knew _exactly_ what she was going through, Ruby in particular. Ruby had very specific tips for blocking hostile presences. The anecdotes made Pyrrha's stomach churn, advice like _never cut off your emotions_ and _drawing your aura too tight is a_ _bad idea_ and _you have to shield yourself when you're sleeping, cause that's when it's easiest to_ _get hurt_ _._ Not for the first time, she wondered about the true extent of what her best friend had gone through in the fall.

 _Nobody should be destined to be controlled_ _by_ _an aura bond,_ Pyrrha had decided. _It isn't right. Even with destiny, all people should be able to think what they will._

If Nora or Weiss had listened to her cry for Ruby that night, neither of them had mentioned it the next day.

At the same time, Pyrrha had come to appreciate the powers humming under her fingertips, far more available and alive than aura. She was beginning to realize that she was one of the most powerful people in Vale. If Pyrrha had commanded awe before, now she drew a sort of unnerving reverence. People hailed her as the savior of Vale, the tragedy of Penny's death in the tournament finals all but forgotten in the face of her herculean feats moving wreckage with the relief effort and her 'double semblance.' Pyrrha didn't – couldn't – think about Penny. Her thin consolation was that the android girl would have died anyways in Harkan's EMP, or hijacked by the black queen virus, or- or-

Pyrrha couldn't take another loss, or she would break. So, she took in the admiration, let it fuel her, and told herself _Jaune would be proud._ She willed herself to forget.

And if mastering her powers was what it took to protect everyone from Cinder, from Salem, she welcomed it. She would be ready. She _was_ ready.

Nobody else dear to her was going to die.

"Pyrrha."

Pyrrha tilted her head against a grassy root to see Raven standing above her, blood red gauntlets crossed over her chest and her sword at her side. "Ruby told you?"

Raven nodded.

Shrugging off her calm, Pyrrha rose to her feet and brushed grass off her armor. "I'm ready."

"Good." Drawing her sword, Raven twisted and sliced a portal open to her left. "Follow me."

Walking through Raven's portals was chilling, a brief path through hazy crimson thunderheads that sent goosebumps crawling down Pyrrha's arms. When they stepped back into the real world, Pyrrha welcomed the brutal heat. Arid tangy air assaulted her senses, making her scrunch up her face. _I don't think we're in Vale anymore. Although, if you walked into those clouds, would you ever find your way back?_

Pyrrha did her best to set her thoughts aside and focus on Raven. "Where are we?"

Raven turned and pointed behind them. A small old shack stood at the edge of the clearing they stood in, a rundown old shanty that appeared uninhabited. The windows were darkened; a loose tin strip of the roof creaked in the wind. "An old man lives out here. He fought under my father for years, wanted to retire as a hermit away from the kingdoms. By living here, he gets his peace and still serves the tribe." She gave Pyrrha a Beowulf smile, baring her teeth. "Few people – or things – expect an attack from behind if they try to attack frontier settlements at the edge of the Animan Wastelands."

Pyrrha's jaw dropped, and she gawked at the older huntress. "The Wastelands?! You can't tell me we're going out there, that's suicide!"

"Not while you're with me." Raven sheathed her sword, raising her Grimm mask over her red eyes. "We're two hundred miles from Mistral's nearest allied settlement and five from the closest village. Sometimes, the big Grimm get hungry and try to come west. I… deal with them."

"Deal with them?" Pyrrha echoed, staring at Raven in starstruck disbelief. "Those are hunter-killers! Some of them have been alive for centuries, and you 'deal' with them?!"

Raven smirked and turned away. "You'll see."

Pyrrha sprang after Raven when she disappeared into the forest. The ground cracked underfoot with every stride, brittle sedges withering in the brown clay. Poplar trees shot into the sky like nails, bleached and vicious. The forest was harshly bright, as if the environment itself rejected the human presence. Unnerved, Pyrrha poured her aura into her armor and shot forwards, ready to draw on her sword and magic at the first sight of Grimm. When she caught up to Raven, Raven gave her a curt nod that sent a slight thrill through her chest.

Out of nowhere, a group of three Creeps launched themselves at Raven. Pyrrha cried out in alarm, her corona exploding around her body, but before she could so much as draw her weapon, Raven had already turned all three Grimm to black smoke. "We have got to work on your reaction time," Raven muttered before taking off again.

The dry forest opened on a cliff, the beating sun hanging high over the edge. Below, the wastes spread out all the way to the horizon, red earth dotted with ragged shrubs and roaming packs of Grimm. Pyrrha caught her breath at the sight of a long trail of Goliaths in the distance, monstrous tusks curling back from their jaws. Luckily, Raven made no move to descend the cliff, instead stopping at the edge and turning back to the forest.

"These are the Wastelands?" Pyrrha walked to her side, taking deep breaths to control her fear.

Raven's bone mask burned in the harsh light. "Uninhabitable, filled with Grimm and shallow earth. They say this used to be part of the sea, before it dried up. There are miles and miles of caves, places nobody has ever wandered into and, gods willing, never will."

"You're my teacher, aren't you?"

"Took you long enough to figure it out." Raven tilted her head. "Didn't I tell you there's nobody but us for miles?"

 _When she puts it like that, it_ is _kinda obvious._ Pyrrha grinned and scratched the back of her head. "So, we're out here to hide my powers? I'm not sure if all this is necessary, I did kind of use my powers on national television..."

"Oh, we aren't out here to hide your powers." Raven removed her mask and placed it on the ground next to her. Meeting Pyrrha's eyes, the Nevermore Queen took three steps backwards and fell off the edge of the cliff.

"RAVEN!" Pyrrha screamed. She ran to the edge of the cliff, skidding to a stop at the edge.

From thin air, Raven rose in a blaze of blue flame, eyes burning with the magic of a maiden arms spread wide, chin tilted to the sky. Pyrrha's mouth dropped open in shock. _Raven is a maiden?!_ "We aren't here to hide your powers," Raven called, her voice resonating in the flames. "We're here to hide _mine._ "

When Raven descended to the cliff, Pyrrha stepped aside to give her room. A million questions spun in her head; after a moment, she settled on one. "Why didn't you tell me? You could have told me what to do before Cinder attacked, before Amber died. I could have stopped her. _You_ could have stopped her."

Raven dismissed her powers and sank to the ground, gesturing for Pyrrha to do the same. "It's not that simple. Do you honestly believe I would have brought you all the way out here if it was?"

"Explain."

Five minutes later, Raven had given Pyrrha a brief outline of how she had gotten her powers and of the deception with Vernal. Pyrrha could feel her arms and neck burning in the sun. _This is all ridiculous._ Pyrrha understoodwhy Raven hadn't told her, but knowing another maiden could have helped her all summer but chose silence _hurt_. _If she had just told me what to do, everything would have been so much easier!_

"Do you understand?"

Pyrrha didn't understand, but she wasn't about to let Raven know that. "The last maiden died, you hid your powers from Salem by staying with the tribe, Salem knows your tribe has the powers but thinks the maiden is your associate. You hide your powers instead of using them for good because you hate Ozpin. Anything else?"

When Raven glowered at her description, Pyrrha held her gaze, unapologetic. _If she thinks she's getting sympathy from me for hiding away when she could have fixed everything, she's crazy._ Pyrrha didn't care how much Bella and Blake told her stories about the Branwen tribe; her high Mistrali birth was hard to shake, and she refused to believe Raven's actions with the bandits were a force for good. _How much blood does she have on her sword? Even if she had been at the attack, would she have fought Cinder?_

As if reading her thoughts, Raven leaned forwards and forced Pyrrha to meet her ruby eyes. "Think what you want of me, Nikos," Raven growled, "but _you're_ the one who needs my help. I agreed to this because my tribe is about to fight a war, and if you go and get yourself killed, we're all going to die. Either you accept my help or I'll leave you here and you can get yourself back to Vale."

Pyrrha knew Raven would follow through on her threat. "I never said I wouldn't, did I?"

"Good." Raven sank back on her haunches. "Don't you _dare_ look at me like I'm a coward again. I'm protecting more people than you can imagine, people who have been rotting in the wilderness while Ozpin sits on his throne and does nothing. Understand?"

Pyrrha's lips thinned to a white line. "I think I do."

Raven gave her a hard look before rising to her feet. "Now. What did the old fool tell you about your powers?"

Pyrrha blinked. _What did Ozpin tell me? Uh…_ "I'm aura bonded to the seasons?"

"You're kidding." Raven snorted, shaking her head. "Okay. First of all, that's bullshit. There's no 'seasons' magic. The seasons are just something clever some ancient maiden invented to focus our powers. Our powers come from the relics-"

"Relics?"

"I'm going to kill that stupid old man when he resurrects," Raven muttered.

"Resurrects?"

"Gods..."

A second long explanation later, and Pyrrha was left speechless. _That's why Salem wants the maidens? Because we're some kind of living key? And Ozpin isn't dead?!_ "Wait, so if I'm aura bound to a relic, what does that mean?"

Raven paced before Pyrrha, her thick black hair swaying behind with every step. "A lot of things. First of all, each relic corresponds to a basic dust type. So, yours is fire, and mine is air. Magic isn't unique to one type, that would be a semblance, but you'll be far stronger if you fight with your type."

"Okay." Pyrrha had already kind of figured that out, but hearing it out loud made a lot of sense.

"Second, each maiden has a primary strength granted by their relic based on its purpose. Summer is bound to the relic of destruction, so her attack magic is overpowered. Winter is bound to creation, so she's far better at changing matter, creating life, healing. I'm bound to knowledge." Raven paused and spaced out for a moment. "I know things, sometimes, things I shouldn't. Not about people, usually, but how to fix weapons, cure bad wounds, go places I've never been. When we were working to save Yang's life, I helped Silo conduct a manual surgery because using healing aura was too dangerous. I've never set foot in a hospital in my life."

 _That's incredible…_ Lost deep in her thoughts, Pyrrha took a moment to notice Raven wasn't continuing. "What about me?"

"Nobody knows." Raven shrugged. "Ozpin's the only one who knows where Choice is hidden, and even he isn't sure what it does for the Fall Maiden. Winter and Summer are opposites, but it's not like the fall maiden has _less_ knowledge. The point is, your powers are whatever you make of them."

"What do the relics do?"

"No idea. Grant knowledge? Give choices?"

Pyrrha made a face. "So that's it?"

"That's it? This is _magic,_ Pyrrha. I've been learning for a decade and I still don't know anything about it." Raven jabbed her thumb at the wastelands behind her. "Now, do you want me to show you how to use it or are we just going to sit here all day?"

Excitement overwhelmed Pyrrha's trepidation, and she nodded, pushing her qualms about Raven to the back of her mind. "What are we going to do first?"

"Simple." Raven pointed to the cliff and grinned. "I'm going to teach you how to fly."

 _What did it feel like?_

Pyrrha smiled back, humming a few notes of Destiny Blue under her breath. "I already know how to fly, Raven."

Raven lifted an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Prove it."

Pyrrha let her aura come to life, the familiar flicker of power dancing in the corners of her vision. "Like falling, only you know there's going to be someone there to catch you," she whispered to herself. The wind blew gently against her lips, lingering in the heat.

Pyrrha took three steps backwards, fell for what seemed like eternity, and took flight.

* * *

 **[A/N] Update schedule? I don't know her.**

 **For context – Bella's outfit is the one she gets at the end of V6 and Ruby's new outfit is her V4-6 outfit.** **Also, for those of you who enjoy my soundtracks, I went ahead and made the V4 one – it's up on my 'Tube channel, link in my profile. T** **his chapter was originally a lot longer, but after it hit 10k with three scenes left to write I decided to just split it in half. I have the majority of the next chapter done too,** **so I should have it done before the end of March.**

 **We're getting close to the end, guys. I know I haven't been as consistent with my uploads lately, but I've been literally hyper for like the last week in excitement to** _ **finally**_ **get to write the end of this fic. A year and a half of planning, and this is the last big hill before everything goes downhill. I can't fucking wait.**

 **(** **please review!)**

 **See y'all soon, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day:** **3/23/19**


	37. V4 - Qualia

Volume Four, Chapter Seven: Qualia

* * *

re:Bound

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 4/17/19

Beta: Vixie

* * *

 _Master yourself._

All her life, Weiss had always strived for greatness. She had big dreams, aspirations no ordinary heiress would be able to accomplish. Ambition was part of her way of life. Every day, she would practice combat in her training room or study leadership from her father's book, ensuring every part of her ability was perfect. Her drive gave her strength, enough so for her to convince Father to let her go to Beacon instead of staying close to home; Beacon, of course, being where that drive was unmasked and fell to pieces.

WBYR had taught her that she could make mistakes and deviate from the script. Her team became more important than her. The treasured leadership book, which Weiss had spent far more time with than she cared to admit, found a second life as a doorstop and Zwei's chew toy. Along the line, she had lost her incessant need to train, her perfectionist streak, and the loss began to show in her everyday life.

 _I've made too many mistakes,_ Weiss mused as she took Myrtenaster and slipped out the back door onto the porch. _Something has to change._

 _Master yourself._ What simple, deceptive advice. How typical of Winter to give her advice so cliché it circled right back around to being profound. Weiss _had_ mastered herself before Beacon – her work ethic, her technique – except she hadn't at all. She had been bratty, arrogant, stuck-up, and all-around unpleasant to be around. Worst of all, _Ruby Rose_ had been the one to show her that. No, Weiss didn't know what mastery looked like, but after a year as team leader, she was starting to see the glimmers of an idea.

When Pyrrha had lost control of her maiden powers, the night of the funeral, that was the most terrifying moment of Weiss' life. It wasn't watching the battleships of _her_ military crash into Vale, or the fear when they had escaped from Harkan's ambush by air. The scariest moment was when _her teammate_ was losing control, and her glyphs were the only thing in between everybody she loved and death. The memory of her aura draining and her control slipping had haunted her dreams all summer. Weiss couldn't – wouldn't – lose another friend. If another teammate died because of her, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to forgive herself.

Grass crunched underfoot beneath the heel of her shoes. Myrtenaster slipped through the blades, dust rounds glowing under the night sky. Weiss stopped in the center of the backyard, right where scorch marks left the earth black, and took a deep breath.

 _Master yourself._

Weiss's dreams and ambitions had done nothing but grow since she had left for Beacon. Only her standard had slipped, and that was unacceptable, even more so than before. Back then, Weiss had to be perfect for herself, and nobody else. Now the stakes were higher than ever, because she had to be perfect for her team, and somewhere, somehow, she had missed the mark. No more.

"Center yourself," Weiss whispered to herself. Bringing her feet together, she held her sword with both hands, tip down. "Call on your aura. Channel your focus. Visualize your summon." _A spectral white knight, an automaton with a glowing helm, the last obstacle between her and freedom._ "And go!" Her icy eyes snapped open, and she plunged the sword into the dirt. Aura flowed into the ground, forming a glyph, and Weiss smiled in determination.

 _You'll see, Winter. I'll be the leader my team needs. And the next time I'm the last person between us and failure, I won't lose._

A hand emerged from the glyph, pulling into the light.

* * *

Unease had crept into the dark interior of the barn like water, dripping through the hole-littered roof and into the dank hay. An ancient weathervane creaked atop the structure, swinging back and forth in the wind. The last Grimm attack had been six days ago when a lone Beowulf made it over the property line, and a Mistrali patrol hadn't made it to the farm for twice the time. Summer felt overlong, almost eerie. The cornfields were ready for harvest, and yet…

Oscar Pine kept a tight grip on his pitchfork, pulling the door shut behind him. Thin light came from slotted windows high in the rafters, but it did little to chase the shadows away. When he reached the entrance to his aunt's house, he let go of the pitchfork and leaned it against the wall. _Aunt Celia_ _will_ _get angry if I leave it lying around again._

And, if Oscar was being honest, holding the old farm tool did nothing to alter the sense of being watched.

Closing his eyes, he sighed and turned to put his gloves away. To his right, an old sink clung to the dark wall, the cracked mirror reflecting distant light – _and where on earth is_ _the_ _green light coming from?_

Tensing, Oscar walked toward the sink. The porcelain was cool enough to feel through his gloves. His reflection was the same as always – messy brown hair, scattered freckles, and bright green eyes – but the green dancing at the edges of his figure disobeyed the rules of a proper mirror. The light seemed to flare in amusement, almost as if somebody was there, trying to communicate. Only that was impossible, right?

"Hello?" Oscar asked the empty barn.

No response. _I must be going crazy._ Oscar pulled away from the mirror, waiting for the green echoes to fade.

 _Hello, there! My name is Ozpin!_

Aunt Celia later would scold her young nephew for mishandling the farm equipment, but she never thought twice about the scream she had heard from the barn. Oscar knew better.

Normal people didn't hear voices in their head, voices that told wild stories about academies and huntsmen and maidens. So, Oscar willed himself to block the voice out of his head, but the feeling of being watched never went away, and neither did the eerie green light.

* * *

"Hey, kiddo."

In the garage, Ruby hunched over her gauntlets, welding mask pulled over her face to protect her from the sparks. At the sound of Qrow's voice, she yelped in surprise. _What's he doing here?_ She fumbled with her blowtorch for a second before getting it back under control and pulling her mask off her face. "Uncle Qrow?"

"Do you have a second?" Qrow asked, pushing off of the wall he had been leaning on and gesturing toward the bench across her work table.

"Uhhhh…" Ruby glanced at the half-welded component she was working on. "I guess?"

"Good."

Qrow slumped on the other bench. When he reached into his inner coat pocket, Ruby's confusion morphed into a scowl. "Look, if you're here to drink, Uncle Qrow, then-"

"Nah, just water." Sure enough, he pulled out a plastic water bottle and shook it lightly. "Tai thinks it'll help me stay sober, or something."

"Or something."

"That's what I said." Qrow took a long drink from his water bottle, recapping and slipping it back into his coat. "Look-"

 _What's he up to this time?_

For the life of her, Ruby couldn't think of a single good reason for Qrow to stop drinking now, of all times. Qrow had been her cool, drunk uncle for as long as she could remember, even before she understood that he was an alcoholic and what that meant. That was the way he was. Occasionally Dad would try to stage an intervention, but it never lasted. _So why now? Why does he have to go and change everything now? Qrow saved us from Harkan, but he was the same as ever afterward._ Had something happened? Did this have to do with what Bella was hiding from her?

"Rubes, you're staring."

Ruby blinked and met Qrow's dry expression. "You've been weird lately," she accused.

"Well, I haven't had a drink for three weeks, so there's that."

"Really?"

"Why else would I agree to carry a bottle of water around?"

"No, I- You're sober? Like, it's not- This isn't-"

"Relax, kiddo." Qrow reached out across the table to put a hand on Ruby's arm. Ruby flinched, which made him flinch, and he quickly retracted it. "I-"

Ruby dropped her gaze, suddenly unable to look at him. "What the hell happened?" she asked. "I know Bella knows because she's been upset about it, but she won't tell me, and now you're doing this, and I- I don't know what I'm supposed to think."

"Rubes..."

Ruby stopped talking and let her gaze fall to the gauntlets on the table. _What am I supposed to say?_ The sound of crinkling plastic filled the garage, too loud; Qrow chucked the crushed plastic bottle at the trash can and pumped a fist when bounced in. _When did talking to Qrow get so hard?_

"I thought you were done with those gauntlets."

"I was."

"So why are you working on them?"

Ruby shrugged, turning the metal bracer over in her hands. "They're useful, and I wish I had had them at the protest. Besides, at this point, I've modded them enough that they aren't the same as Ember Celica anymore. I figured if I give them a few touch-ups and a fresh coat of paint, they might be useful in a fight if I get disarmed again."

"Can I see?" Qrow winced when her head snapped up to stare at him, but he didn't back down. Ruby hesitated before sliding a gauntlet over. Qrow gave it an appraising twice-over, rapping a knuckle against the dusteel. "You do good work, kid. This is better craftsmanship than Yang's. Are you going to name them?"

"Maybe? I haven't decided yet."

It struck Ruby that she was having a perfectly normal conversation Qrow – Qrow who she was supposed to be hating, who had been nothing but awful to her and Bella for _months._ Yet here they were, chatting about weapons like she was still at Signal and he was still her cool uncle who could do no wrong. Flushing, she reached over and grabbed her gauntlet back. "Why are you here, Uncle Qrow?"

Qrow sighed. "Well, there's something important we need to talk about-"

 _Important._ Important meant hunter business. Important meant Bella. Some of the hope Ruby hadn't realized she had been holding onto slipped away, and she slumped a bit.

"Oh."

"-but I…" Qrow caught her fallen expression and groaned, massaging his temples. "Gods. Look, I wanted to say I'm sorry, okay?"

It took Ruby a moment to get from his antagonistic tone to what he had said. "You're sorry?"

"Sorry about blowing up at Bella, when you woke up."

"...Why?"

"I thought you weren't going to wake up," Qrow said, leaning forward. "I thought I was too late. It would be my luck for your powers to kill you while I was there. And I was drunk-"

"Big surprise."

"More drunk than usual," Qrow amended. "And you woke up and tried to claw your own eye out, and I-"

"I know what you did," Ruby snapped. "How is that supposed to explain anything? How was _Bella_ having a seizure _her_ fault? I know you hate her, but- You saved us, Uncle Qrow! For half a second, I thought you actually cared about us again, but then you turn around and-"

"Do you know how Summer died?"

Ruby's breath caught in her throat. The garage felt a lot smaller than it did before. "What?"

Qrow leaned forward with his jaw set, lips pressed together. "Do you?" he asked.

"Of- Of course, I do, I-" Ruby stammered. "How could I not? She sacrificed herself to stop a massive Grimm attack. She was a hero."

"Not why she died, Ruby. How."

"How? I don't understand."

Qrow pushed himself to his feet and away from the table. Ruby watched him as he stared at the ground, fists clenched, his cape fluttering in the faint breeze behind him. "We were the last stand before the army – me and Summer. Ozpin had been driven back, and everyone else was too busy trying to protect the Spring Maiden at the time. Salem didn't even care about the invasion. All she wanted was the maiden, but we still had to stop the Grimm horde she had created before it destroyed half of Upper Atlas. Our last resort was to destroy the mountain pass, but it failed. There was only one other way we could save the people in the villages below the mountains."

"Mom," Ruby whispered.

"Summer."

"But why? Why was the last possible option? Why did you try to stop me from using my silver eyes after we beat Harkan? Why didn't you tell me about them?!" Ruby rested a hand against the metallic patch on her face. "Is it because of this?"

"Those eyes are a curse!"

Ruby gaped at the sudden outburst from Qrow, dropping the gauntlet in her other hand. "Uncle Qrow?"

Qrow took a long unsteady breath, shaking his head. "We tried, kid. We tried to figure out how they work, why Salem was after them. All we could figure out was that they don't run off of aura, or anything else we understand. Ozpin knew, but he refused to tell us-"

"What?!"

"Did you think you and Bella were the first people Ozpin kept secrets from?"

Ruby stared at Qrow in horror. "I- I didn't think about it at all."

"Whatever energy source those eyes run off of, it's finite. But once it runs out, they don't stop working, no. They start converting parts of the body into pure energy." Qrow narrowed his eyes at his clenched fist. "Summer didn't tell us that when she started using her powers on missions. Most of the time, she was fine afterward, when it was a Grimm or two. But when it was a whole pack, or something massive, she would be faint, collapse. We assumed it was only a side effect until Rae walked in on her and realized she had metallic silver patches covering her arms and torso."

 _No…_

"She was killing herself, and she thought she could hide it and still do her job." Ruby rose to her feet, horrified, but Qrow wasn't done. "So we told her she could only use them in an emergency, but she didn't listen. Your mother was headstrong, Rubes, even more than you are. Summer didn't stop taking missions, using her eyes, until before she had you. She was always adamant that she would do _anything_ in her power to save people, even if it hurt her."

"So she did," Ruby whispered.

Qrow bowed his head. "She vaporized Salem's entire army, and it turned her to ash."

A tear trickled down Ruby's face, and she wiped it away with the back of her fist. "How close was I?"

"You were comatose for a week and a half, Ruby. Any longer, and Tai and I, we-" Qrow choked over his own words. "We weren't sure you were going to survive. We thought we had lost you like we lost Summer."

"So if Bella hadn't pulled me back from the edge, I would have died?" Ruby whispered.

"I'm sorry, kid."

At some point while Ruby was crying, Qrow walked around the table and hugged her, the faint scent of liquor still clinging to his jacket. Ruby wanted to push him away, to call for Bella, but she couldn't – Bella was in the city, anyways, out of range. Instead, she hugged Qrow back and buried her face in his chest. "Un- Uncle Qrow..."

"Hey, hey, I got you," Qrow murmured, rubbing circles on her back.

"Hey, Rub- Qrow? What's wrong?" Tai's voice came from the door of the garage. He rushed to Ruby's side and put a hand on her shoulder, but she held fast to Qrow.

Qrow sighed and met Tai's eyes. "We were talking about Summer."

"Qrow-"

"'s not his fault," Ruby mumbled into Qrow's chest, shaking her head. "He was- he apologized, for when we woke up. 's my fault for-"

"Ruby. Ruby, look at me." Ruby lifted her head towards Tai, meeting his concerned gaze. "Nothing about your mother's death is your fault, _at all_. Do you understand? Summer, she- she knew what it meant to be a huntress, to take risks. If she knew you were blaming yourself right now for anything you've done, then-"

"She would hang you from the roof by your cloak and not let you down until bedtime," Qrow said, and Tai snorted.

"Exactly."

Ruby gave a wet laugh, wiping at her face with her cloak. "I miss her, Dad," she said in her smallest voice, doing her best to smile for Tai.

Tai wrapped Ruby and Qrow into a tight group hug. "So do I," he murmured. "We all do."

 _I missed this too._ Ruby had almost forgotten how good Qrow and her dad were at giving hugs. Relaxing into the embrace was easy, and she let her tears dry on Tai's sleeve. They stayed there for a while.

"I forgive you."

"You do?" Qrow asked, uncertain.

Ruby closed her eyes when she felt Bella's presence return to the edge of their range and flare in alarm. _It's alright,_ she murmured through their bond. _We're alright._

 _I'll give you space._

Right before Bella moved back out of range, Ruby smiled. _Thank you. I don't know what you did, but thank you._

Longing. Mourning. Regret. Sorrow. Hope. _I'm glad, then,_ Bella said. _Don't mess it up, Rose._ And before Ruby could respond, she went out of range again.

"I forgive you," she repeated.

Qrow exhaled and pulled away from Ruby enough so he could see her. "Why, kiddo?"

 _Why?_ Qrow was at the heart of so many of her troubles from the past few months. He had ratted her and Bella out to Ozpin, made her feel worse than worthless, hurt Bella deeper than she could ever hope to make him understand. Even now Ruby still clung to the burning ache Bella had felt when she had thanked her. And yet, Qrow and Bella were so alike in so many ways. Ruby hated how they tore each other apart, because in her mind they were family. It _didn't make sense_ , but-

If she could forgive Bella, then she had already forgiven Qrow.

Ruby looked from Tai to Qrow and smiled. "Because I love you."

Qrow's eyes widened and a genuine grin spread across his face, a smile Ruby hadn't seen in years. A decade seemed to melt away in a moment. "You mean it, kid."

Ruby wiped away her tears and nodded. "Of course I do. You're my Uncle Qrow"

"Rubes..."

When Tai pulled them back into the group hug and Ruby and Qrow leaned into each other, everything was back as it should be.

"..."

"What did you come to talk to me about, Uncle Qrow?"

"Oh, that? Nah, it's not important. We can talk about it another day."

* * *

"Almost there..."

Pulling the tent flap back, Blake and Yang stepped out of the darkened tent and into the light, Yang's arm slung over Blake's shoulder. Yang was unsteady on her feet, but she was out of bed and _moving_. Before they could step out into the Branwen camp, Yang stopped short and gave Blake a look. "Blake?"

Blake met her eyes. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll manage." Yang nodded, uncertain but determined. Her hair was wild and matted after weeks without proper care and her arm was still bandaged, but for the first time since the attack, she didn't look defeated. It gave Blake hope. "I… Can I try walking alone?"

"Are you sure?" Blake asked, biting her lip as her ears flattened against her head.

Yang took a deep breath and straightened her back, rolling her shoulders back. Ember Celica's single remaining gauntlet sat heavy around her wrist, cocked and loaded for combat. "Yeah. I want to walk on my own if we're going out."

"Alright..."

Letting go of Yang's wrist, Blake slid her arm off her shoulders. Yang swayed in place for a moment, stumbling forward, but she caught herself and held her arm out for balance. When Blake tried to rush to her side, Yang shook her head and growled, "Don't." Red flashed in her eyes for a moment, and Blake could see the pain in her expression before she caught her watching and wiped it away.

It was bittersweet. Yang was so strong, but Blake knew things would never return to the way they were before the attack.

Blake had returned from Raven's mission to Shiroyama two days ago when the raiding party had been treated to a hero's welcome home. Since then, she had spent her time with Yang, trying to make amends for leaving her behind without telling her. Yang had been cold for half a day before the tension snapped, and everything Blake had discovered from Vernal had spilled out in one long jumbled confession. Now, tension still simmered below the surface, but Yang was driven. She was the one who had demanded to train today. It gave Blake hope that this was where her recovery would start.

 _If we could have told Yang about the attack, would she have been like this, too?_

That didn't matter. Now, the only way was forwards.

"Ready?" Blake asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Yang took a deep breath and led Blake out of the tent into the camp.

The tribe had moved camp while Blake had been away on the raid from the sweltering forests of central Anima to the cooler rocky lowlands that sloped down to Anima's big central lake. The temperature was more bearable, for late July at least. They had joined with a larger splinter tribe who had sworn fealty to Raven, where there were civilians than Raven's elite main camp. The result felt more like a small city than a group of bandits, snaking through a series of valleys. Armed guards patrolled the sparse hills above. Everyone was armed, from young mothers walking with infants in arm to kids sparring with sharp short-blades. More people had their auras unlocked than usual – rare in any group, but Blake supposed it made sense for the bandits. _Can I even call them bandits anymore?_

Yang found her legs as they walked, ignoring the obvious attention she drew. All around, people stopped what they were doing and stared, lining the hills and cracks in the tents. The silence was eerie; respect, almost, but not without a hint of a question. _They're watching her,_ Blake realized. It was the same silence Raven commanded, the same question. Did these people believe Raven would be able to create an empire? Did they think Yang would be their princess?

Blake and Yang exchanged a glance, wary. "They're staring at me," Yang murmured, eyes guarded.

"Vernal was telling the truth," Blake whispered back. "I think all these people, they believe that somehow, you and Raven are going to..."

They shared a nervous laugh, and Yang leaned in towards her. "They don't feel like bandits, do they? It's almost like..." Yang trailed off, her voice catching in her throat

The passage between two close hills ended, and Blake's eyes widened when she took in the valley below. "Almost like Raven is training an army?" she breathed, stepping closer to Yang and taking her hand.

Below them, a broad valley overflowed with bullheads and weapons. Big groups of bandits trained together in lines and regiments, going through sword drills and working a gun range. On the far side, a big empty space was cleared away. In it, a woman spun through the air, shooting bursts of ice dust at automated moving targets, and an armored man was blasting a boulder to pieces with sonic blasts from his armored fists. The sight reminded Blake of basic training at the White Fang's main camp, only there were far more people and they all were stronger than the average Fang grunt.

Yang nodded. "I thought you said she didn't want to take on Mistral."

"She doesn't."

The two girls jumped and spun around. Behind them, Astral Skulla, leader of the Mistral Underground, stood with one hand on her hip, lilac hair streaming down her back over a gravity-dust infused black cape. Blake couldn't read her expression behind her skull bandana tied over her mouth, but she didn't like the narrow glint in her eyes. _Shit._

Yang glowered at Skulla. "You.

"So, you finally decided to get your sorry ass out of bed, Blondie."

Blake put a warning hand on Yang's shoulder to stop her from punching Skulla only for her girlfriend to shrug her off. When Yang whipped her furious glare at her, Blake met it with a pointed look. _Don't_ _lose your cool in front of Skulla_ , she mouthed.

Yang hesitated, took a violent breath, and turned back to Skulla. "Raven said you were supposed to be in Mistral."

"Why would you know where the fuck I'm supposed to be? Last time I checked, you were-"

"Skulla," Blake interrupted. "What do you want?"

Astral glared at her for a long moment, weighing her up, but Blake held her gaze and waited. She knew how to deal with violent commanders; years in the White Fang had taught her to stand her ground, and Blake refused to let Skulla intimidate Yang while she was vulnerable. Finally, the predatory glint in her eyes lessened to a measured interest. "Vernal told you."

"Yes."

"And you told Yang."

"Everything."

Yang tried to take an aggressive step forwards, but Blake pulled her back, a bit rougher than she meant to. "I thought Raven didn't want to go to war. What the hell is this?

"War?" Astral barked out a laugh. "No, this is survival."

A cold chill ran down Blake's spine. "What does that mean?"

Astral waved a hand over all the training bandits, her cape blowing in the wind. "When Mistral falls, the Grimm population is going to explode. There won't be any patrols anymore, forget the pathetic ones they have right now. If we don't fill the power vacuum, Salem will. She might as well have already won."

"What about the hunters?" Yang asked.

"The hunters _she's_ been murdering one by one for years? Don't make me laugh." Astral shook her head, turning away to the training grounds. "Even if the hunters could do jackshit about this, do you think they'd save a bunch of bandits?"

 _Bandits._ Blake's stomach curdled at the thought of all the defenseless civilians living in the camp getting overrun by Grimm. _More than half of the people here can't even fight. Aren't those the people the hunters_ _should_ _protect?_ She clenched her fists, trying to fight off a looming sense of hopelessness. "So, what's the point, then? What does it matter if Raven conquers Mistral or hides out in the wilderness like she does now if everybody's going to die anyway?"

"That's what Raven thinks too," Astral said, "but she's wrong."

"Why?"

"These people, down there, they've been fighting all their lives. All they've got is hope, and Raven's the one who gave it to them." Astral gestured for Yang and Blake to come to her side. "If Raven goes through with her plan, that hope dies. Even if she doesn't, what we have right now isn't enough to win. But, if we can take Mistral before the kingdom collapses, build the empire our people dream of, they've got more than hope. They'll have something to fight for, and if they get that, we stand a chance."

There was a terse silence, punctuated by the sounds of steel striking wood training posts coming from below. Yang sighed, running her fingers through the tangles in her hair. "We're in. I don't like it, but what other choice do we have?"

"And taking it to Vale will make a difference, right? That's why you think you'll be able to win?" Blake asked.

Astral nodded. "They know about Vernal; we keep her an open secret on purpose. So long as _it_ stays in the vault, killing Vernal will be their top priority – the only reason they haven't managed to yet is because Raven keeps her surrounded by our people at all times. If we can get it off of Anima, their focus will be off us, and we have a chance."

"Okay. Okay." Blake met Yang's eyes, and her girlfriend nodded. "So we go along with this. What do we do?"

"Do? You think you can do anything like _that?_ " Skulla shot a vicious look at Yang's arm, and they both flinched. "None of this matters if you're too weak to take out a fucking Beowulf. What do want we say, congratu-fucking-lations for getting out of bed for the first time in over a month?"

Yang's expression fell. "And what if I'm not strong enough anymore?"

Astral sneered and opened her mouth to respond, but Blake beat her to the punch. "Don't say that. Yang, you're the strongest person I know. You'll be ready." Blake squeezed her hand, determined. "Trust me."

For a moment, Yang's eyes had a spark of hope, then her face darkened. "But how?"

"You're pathetic, you know that, right?" Skulla snapped before Blake could stop her. "An arm is an arm. If you were _anything_ like Raven, you wouldn't need Kitty Cat here to-"

Blake hissed and strode into Astral's personal space, drawing Gambol Shroud. "Don't you dare say that to her!"

Without missing a beat, Astral drew her arm back and slammed a fist into Blake's stomach with her strength semblance. She slammed against the ground, her aura flashing around her, and her vision went spotty. Yang screamed in rage, her own semblance blazing to life. Before she could so much as move, Skulla had pinned her arm to her back and kicked her to her knees.

"Yang!"

"LET GO OF ME!" Yang screamed, writhing in Skulla's grasp. She tried to punch Skulla with Ember Celica, to no avail. The people passing around them stopped to watch, nobody daring to make a move to stop the violence.

Blake tried to force herself to her feet as Skulla leaned in toward Yang, her own aura flaring around her dark clothes. "Let's get something straight, _Princess."_ Astral twisted Yang's arm further back, making Yang gasp in pain. "Just because you and your pet cat are related to Branwen doesn't mean shit if you don't have the strength to back it up. If you think you can talk down to me, I'll teach you a thing or two about pain-"

"ASTRAL!" Blake's eyes widened when Silo stormed towards them, fury written on his face. Astral noticed him too because she let Yang go and kicked her into the dirt. Yang landed hard on her bad arm and didn't stir. Blake scrambled to Yang's side and held out Gambol Shroud, putting herself between the leader of the Underground and her girlfriend.

"Ow..." Yang groaned, shifting onto her side, squeezing her red eyes shut. "That fucking _bitch_..."

Astral whirled back around. "What was that?"

Before she had a chance to retaliate again, Silo was on top of Astral. "What do you think you're doing?" he growled, forcing her a pace back.

"She needs to learn her place-"

"-which is above you," Silo snapped. "You caused a scene. Are you _trying_ to fuck everything up?" He gestured to their surroundings and the people gathering around them.

Astral's hand shot back to her sniper rifle. She and Silo had an intense staring contest for fifteen seconds, which Silo won. She relaxed her grip and tossed her hair with a sneer. "Fine. I always said Raven was too soft on her kids. If she wants to go and get herself killed because she couldn't pull her head out her own ass, then I guess we'll all die with her." And before Silo could retort, Skulla stalked away into the camp, her cape billowing out behind her.

Blake watched her go with a furious hiss. _How dare she?!_

"Bitch," Yang whispered. Her good hand was shaking, and her stump kept moving back and forth like she was trying to hold it with the hand she had lost. "She- she-"

"Yang." Blake grabbed Yang's hand to stop it from shaking, but her entire body began to tremble, her chest rising and falling too fast with each breath. "Yang!"

Silo rushed to Yang's side, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She's having a panic attack," he said. "Help me get her into a tent, Belladonna." Blake helped pulled Yang to her feet and lead her into a nearby tent as Yang struggled against them. When Silo managed to sit Yang on a table, he knelt in front of her and forced her to meet his eyes. "Yang. I need you to take deep breaths."

Yang shook her head, looking from them to the exit. "Can't... breathe…"

Biting her lip, Blake squeezed her hand tighter. "It's okay, it's okay, we're here, it's okay..."

"Blake?"

"Breathe."

Yang exhaled a long breath, nodding shakily. The red of her semblance had melted away, leaving only fear and pain behind. Dust and dirt had gotten smeared across her face, in her hair. "Blake," she whispered.

"I'm here," Blake said.

"What are we doing?" Yang squeezed her eyes shut and pulled her hand lose of Blake's grasp to rake her fingers through her hair and down her face. "What's the point?"

"Don't-" Yang jerked away when Blake tried to touch her again. "You can't listen to her," Blake said. "Yang, this isn't your fault, nothing has bee-"

"Shut up."

Blake flinched back, unable to keep the hurt off her face. "Yang-"

"She hasn't come to see me _onc_ _e_ since the funeral." Yang pulled her legs up onto the table and curled in on herself. "Greaser was the one who told me I could go and find her once I got out of bed. I know her stupid philosophy. 'The strong live, the weak die?' I'm not- not fucking stupid, Blake. I'm _weak."_

"Don't say-"

"Don't say what?" Yang's fist balled in her hair. "Maybe Skulla was right. Raven should have let me die during the attack. At least then she wouldn't be such a fucking hypocrite about it."

For the first time since Yang had started talking, Silo interrupted her. "Maybe. But do you want to prove Raven or Skulla right?" Without waiting for a response, he rose to his feet and strode out of the tent, leaving Blake and Yang alone.

There was a long silence.

"Blake?" Yang finally asked. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"...Take it back."

"What?"

Blake lifted her head, her expression full of anger. "I _said_ , take it back."

Yang's eyes widened before her anger returned to match. "Take what back? That I'm weak? That I deserve to be dead right now?"

"Take it back!" Jumping to her feet, Blake drew back and slugged Yang in her good shoulder as hard as she could.

"What the-"

"That's it. I can't do this anymore."

"Blake?"

Blake punched Yang again, sending her back against the table with a sharp thud. As Yang howled in pain, she started pacing back and forth, her conviction growing with every step. "I've done everything, Yang. I've waited for you to be ready to talk. I've tried to get you help with Silo. I even tried leaving, and it didn't change a thing. For a month, I've watched you destroy yourself, and I won't take it anymore! So either you can take what you said back and get up and go to the training field, or I'll attack you until you defend yourself, because I WON'T WATCH YOU DO THIS TO YOURSELF!"

Blake's scream echoed through the tent, and Yang stared at her as if she had never seen her before. "Blake? I don't-"

"Stand up!" When Yang didn't respond, Blake roughly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her off the table. "I said, STAND UP!"

"Hey!" Yang protested, stumbling into the center of the room only to receive another punch to the shoulder. "Blake, stop-"

At that point, Blake was so far past the point of stopping that she barely registered what Yang said. The last semblance of her patience had snapped, completely. "Attack me!"

"No, I'm not going to att- Ow!"

"Do it!" Another punch collided with Yang's chest, and she winced and staggered back.

"What the hell is wrong with yo- OW! WHAT THE FUCK!"

"You aren't LISTENING!" Blake slapped Yang hard enough to snap her head back and leave an angry red handprint on her jaw.

Yang glared at Blake, sliding into her fighting stance. "I can't!" she yelled back. "I'm never going to be strong again, okay! WHY WON'T YOU ACCEPT THAT AND STOP PITYING ME, OKAY?"

Shrieking in wordless anger, Blake kicked Yang straight in the face, sending her to the ground again. When she didn't immediately rise back to her feet, she froze. What was she doing? Yang just had a panic attack, and she was attacking her? Realization washed over like a cool wave, and she started to panic. "Yang, I-"

The click of Ember Celica cocking silenced her. Hazy red aura enveloped Yang, and she looked up with violent crimson eyes. "SHUT UP!" Blake howled in pain when the gauntlet rammed into her chest at full force and sent her flying backward through the thin tent flap. She collided hard with the sheer cliff face behind, bouncing off the stone and landing hard on her side.

In the center of the tent, Yang's breathing came in heavy gasps, her burning gauntlet hanging at her side. Blake rose from the torn ruins of the tent and drew Gambol Shroud, eyes wild as she tried to block out the sharp pain coming from her side. They stared at each other for a long moment, then, as if by silent agreement, jumped at each other.

It was one of the dirtiest fights Blake had ever had. Yang fought with drunken roundhouse swings and overpowered kicks, and she hacked at her girlfriend's aura with the blunt side of Gambol's gun, not even bothering to draw her sword. They traded blows back and forth around the room – a fist to Blake's head, a dirty swing to Yang's bad arm, a knee to Blake's gut, again. Yang lost her balance and fell forwards, taking Blake down with her. Blake shrieked in rage as they rolled around on the floor, her weapon tossed aside. Yang was stronger than her, but she had both arms – the end result was neither of them gaining the upper hand.

Finally, Blake managed to pin Yang to the ground, her better physical condition winning out. They stayed there for a long moment, breathing heavily, staring at each other. Then, like a dam breaking, Blake cracked a smile and part of the anger and pressure she had been stewing in fell away. "Your hair is covered in dirt."

Yang shuddered. Nobody commented when her eyes turned back to lilac. "Gross."

"I know, I can feel it too," Blake groaned.

"I don't know," Yang smirked. "I kinda _dig_ it."

Blake tried to fight it. She really did. Of course, she lost and broke out into a helpless fit of giggles, and Yang joined in with her a few seconds later. Blake rolled off of Yang and onto her back so they were side-by-side on the floor of the destroyed tent, lost in the absurdity of their situation. Their weapons were forgotten, and neither of them spoke for a long while.

In the shadows by the entrance, Raven nodded in satisfaction and gestured for Silo and Greaser to leave the couple to themselves.

* * *

In the lowlight of the garage, Ruby grinned as she finished sharpening Rising Thorn's blade. Turning the whetstone off, she turned the blade back into its gun form and slung it under her cloak. Her gauntlets covered her hands for the first time since the attack – a fresh coat of red spray paint, plus some tinkering with the mods she had made in the spring, made them feel less like Ember Celica and more like a new weapon. Add that to her brand new outfit, a black corset over a loose beige shirt, and Ruby felt ready to fight.

 _Rose, you coming?_

 _Yeah, I'm getting ready to kick your butt!_

Ruby could almost hear Bella snort over their bond. _Sure._

Instead of answering, Ruby huffed and held her head high. Outside of the garage, the sun blazed over her backyard. Bella paced back and forth across the grass with her umbrella. Nora and Pyrrha sat on the steps, drinking homemade lemonade and talking. When Ruby came out, Nora called, "Hey, looking good, Ruby!"

Before Ruby could react, Bella had already flipped Nora the bird and pointed her sword at Ruby. _Come_ on, _you were working on you_ _r_ _weapons forever!_

 _And you're impatient!_ Ruby held the backs of her fists up to show off her gauntlets and smirked. _Like them? I got them a new coat of paint and redesigned the shell._

 _They_ _'re_ _great, Rose._ When Ruby beamed at the compliment, Bella shook her head fondly. _Are you still stuck on the name?_

 _Uhh…_ Ruby glanced at Pyrrha, who blinked back at her. _Erm, uh… Ashes Celica?_

Bella sighed. _That's the least creative name you could possibly come up with._

 _Whatever. When I kick your ass, it won't even matter!_

"Are you two going to fight, or are you going to stand there and stare at each other all day?" Nora called, grinning at Tai and Qrow when they brought a bowl of popcorn out of the house. "I was promised _action_."

Bella glowered at their friends and the adults, including Raven, who had come over for the day. {You know, when we told you all we were going to spar today, we didn't mean to treat it like a fucking festival!}

Raven smirked at the message and looked at Tai. "Told you so."

 _You're nervous cause we're fighting in front of your mom,_ Ruby muttered.

Bella sighed mentally. D _oesn't mean I have to_ show _it._

 _Of course not._

"HEY!" Nora yelled, popping a handful of popcorn into her mouth and chewing as she talked. "You're nervous because you're fighting in front of your _mom_ , aren't you?"

An instant later, Nora had a very pointy sword in her face. {Nora Valkyrie, I will gut you like a fish.}

 _No you won't_. Ruby crossed her arms.

"No you won't," Nora said, looking smug.

 _I hate both of you,_ Bella muttered. Raven's smirk deepened.

"Alright, alright, just fight already, will ya? The heat is making me thirsty!" Qrow leaned further over the railing, drooping under the intense sun.

Ruby grinned and waved at her uncle, who rolled his eyes and downed his third plastic water bottle of the day. Ever since they had reconciled, Ruby had gone on a mission to remove every last bit of alcohol from the house on her mission to keep Qrow sober, much to her dad's chagrin.

 _Ruby? Ruby!_

 _What?_

 _You spaced out, everybody's waiting._

Ruby blinked – sure enough, everybody on the porch was staring at them with varying degrees of annoyance. Nora was about ready to grab Manghild and start smashing things. Tai seemed to be worried, though, so Ruby rolled her shoulders and refocused. _Well, no time like the present._

Drawing Rising Thorn, Ruby cocked the gun and turned the safety off. Bella gave her an off-kilter smirk. _Just like old times?_

 _Yep. I'm going to beat you, for sure._ Ruby glanced back at the porch. "You guys are going to want your auras activated-"

"No need." Pyrrha snapped her right hand, and a faint barrier flickered between Ruby and Bella and the porch. "I can stop anything you do. Try not to kill each other, okay?"

{No promises.} Bella pointed her umbrella at Ruby. _Ready?_

Ruby primed Ashes Celica and nodded. _Ready._

There was a brief pause before Ruby disappeared into a cloud of petals.

Bullet sprays collided with an unfurled umbrella, which Bella cartwheeled over and jabbed to parry a dust-fueled punch from Ruby, who used the halt in momentum to flip and kick where Bella had been a second earlier. Glass shattered, filling the air around them. A double kick went to either side of Ruby's head as she fired past Bella with a dust round that sent them both flying backward. Bella grabbed Ruby's ankle and attacked with her umbrella, steel meeting steel. Ruby twisted and punched twice, but Bella took both hits and used her momentum to bash Ruby into the ground with her umbrella and dance away, only Ruby never hit the ground.

When the petals fell, Ruby stood behind Bella, naginata in hand. _We're both rusty, huh?_

 _Yup. We should have trained harder the second we woke up._ Bella dragged her hand across her forehead, her palm coming away glistening with sweat. _Come on. We'll start endurance training again tomorrow. For now…_

Ruby disappeared. Bella blocked her downward strike with her umbrella. When Ruby tried to get her close, she started ducking and weaving through the crescent cleaves of Ruby's style, using illusions to distract Ruby. _This is no fun,_ Ruby whined as she did her best to catch Bella off guard, which was the only way she ever managed to actually win a fight. _I don't want to hit you, not with Dad and Pyrrha watching._

 _Mom would laugh if I said that out loud,_ Bella grumbled, ducking a punch and stabbing past Ruby's side. _I already know everything you're going to do, anyway. If we're only working on technique, sparring like this is pointless. All this does is give us a workout._

 _We_ have _been sitting around the house doing nothing._ Ruby took a light feint kick to bash the other end of Rising Thorn into Bella's thigh.

 _Rose…_

 _I have an idea._

Bella almost stopped fighting in surprise but caught herself before she did. Backflipping into a triple jab, she said, _We didn't try that on purpose, last time. Do you even think-_

 _Yeah, I do. Should we?_

 _Let's do it._

Closing her eyes, Ruby stopped short mid-swing and focused on the black and white of Bella's aura. When she found it, she took a deep breath. _Alright, here goes nothing._ Concentrating on the aura, Ruby collected herself and _pushed_ into their mindscape.

 _Now!~_

When Ruby opened Bella's eyes, she grinned at the sight of her own body before her and the feeling of having an unblemished face again. _Hell yeah, it works._ _We can switch bodies!_

Bella nodded in excitement. "I can't believe that worked again," she said aloud, and Ruby grinned at the pure joy Bella got from talking, even if it was through her body. _My new outfit is hot,_ she added on.

 _Yup!_

 _How did Ozpin not mention this to us?_

 _Who knows? It's not like he needed a reason to hide things from us._ Ruby shrugged, tilting Bella's sword in her hand.

"Hey! If nobody's gonna fight, I'm going back inside!" Nora exclaimed from the porch, her mouth full of popcorn. "I was promised _blood_!"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "They _said_ they were going to have a training fight. _You_ 're the one who dragged the rest of us out here to watch."

Everybody stared at Nora, who leaned back on the steps and clasped her hands behind her head. "So?"

"Is something wrong?" Tai called to Ruby and Bella, who shook their heads in unison.

 _So, what now?_

Bella tapped a thoughtful finger against Ruby's jaw. _Well, I can think of half a dozen ways we could use this in a fight. Wanna try it out?_

 _Like fighting with each other's weapons?_ Ruby shot Bella's umbrella a doubtful look. _I don't know, it's a lot shorter than what I'm used to. What about semblances?_

 _Try it._

Ruby scrunched up her face in concentration, tapping into her aura reserves like when she was in her own body. _Alright, here goes nothing._

Everybody on the porch cried out in surprise when 'Bella' disappeared in a cloud of petals, zipping around the clearing four times and splitting into three separate clouds before reforming by Bella. Raven leaned forward on the railing in shock. "Bella, did you use Ruby's semblance?"

Bella shot her mother a cheeky smile. "Don't worry, Mom, we're just practicing switching bodies!"

Raven blinked and shook her head. "I need to sit down."

"You guys switched bodies again?!" Nora shouted.

Everybody on the porch broke out in excited conversation, most of it directed at Bella and Ruby, but they had already gone back to their own discussion. _So, do you want to give a spar a chance?_ Ruby asked.

Hoisting Rising Thorn up, Bella turned it back to its machine gun mode and smirked. _Well, I have always wanted to try your gun mode._ _T_ _his weapon is wasted on you, all you ever want to do is swing it around like an oversized knife._

 _Hey!_

 _I mean, I get it, that's how you fought with Crescent, but it's limiting._ Bella shrugged, running a hand down the length of the barrel. _You'd be deadly if you could use the two modes equally. I wish I could help you more with it, but…_

Ruby wrestled with her loss and immediate 'absolutely not' reaction and tried to think it through. _But what?_

 _Mom says I used to watch her spar with Summer a lot,_ Bella admitted. _I used to be around Summer all the time, but…_

 _Augustus took those memories away._

 _Yeah._

The happy moments Bella had lost with Team STRQ… Ruby wanted nothing more than to see them, to see her mom, and she felt the void where those memories should have been as much as Bella. _I'm sorry._

 _It's nothing._ _I know you didn't like it when Tai tried to teach you how Summer fought in the spring-_

 _He kept calling me Summer,_ Ruby admitted with a shiver. _It was like the time he let me try on her white cloak, but worse, because now I'm old enough to care. I don't want to fight like Mom did. I like my fighting style._

 _I know._ Bella spaced out into the surrounding woods for a long moment, then shook her thoughts off and refocused. _Whatever, it doesn't matter. The point is, I have a machine gun and you're about to go down!_

 _So we're doing this?_

 _Yup! Duck!_

Ruby yelped when Bella unleashed a spray of bullets at her and used her semblance to reappear on the other side of the clearing. _Bella!_

 _No semblances, Rose!_ Bella called. I _f we're trying to trick an enemy, that's our trump card, right? You have to fight like me!_ In her best facsimile of Bella's fighting style, she slid under the spray, popping into a backflip and landing in a cartwheel that brought her around to Bella's – her – blind side. Her swing with the umbrella was blocked by Rising Thorn, which Bella shifted into naginata mode. She forced Ruby into a locked stance, leaning in with a smirk. _Oh, come on!_

Ruby didn't have time to pause, though, because Bella launched into an eerie series of spins and maneuvers Ruby recognized _._ _Side slash, right cross, left cross- Hey, you're copying my favorite kata!_ Narrowing her eyes, Ruby ducked and weaved through the predictable strikes; there was _no way_ Bella was going to beat her with her own move. She had to wait for an opening- _Now!_

A forward thrust with the umbrella connected with thin air and Ruby fell flat on her face.

 _Damn it…_

Bella burst out laughing, dropping Rising Thorn in favor of wiping tears from her eyes. On the porch, Nora and Qrow joined her, while Weiss and Pyrrha shared an amused look and Tai sighed. _Oh, wow, that was great. Make sure you pull that one the next time we're fighting, I'm_ _sure it'll catch the enemy off guard._

 _Shut up,_ Ruby grumbled. _How come you have all of my combos memorized and I can't even do a good cartwheel?_

 _Well, I guess-_ Bella froze, then smacked her forehead. _Oh, shit, I'm dumb._

 _What?_

 _Well,_ Bella said slowly, _you know how I don't have a filter when it comes to, y'know, your memories and stuff unless you keep me out?_

 _Yeah?_

 _Well, that means I have all_ _your_ _memories of fighting, pretty much from the moment you started training. Combine that with your body, and I guess the muscle memory kicks in. My guess is, unless you get all my memories, I'm not sure you'll be able to fight like_ _I do_ _._

 _Oh, yeah. I mean, I sort of assume you know everything about me these days, so I didn't even think of that._ Ruby pulled herself into a sitting position, frowning thoughtfully. _Maybe if you showed me-_

Bella's face darkened, and she looked away.

 _Bella?_

 _No. Or not now, at least._

 _Why?_

Illusions flickered around the edges of Ruby's body, but Bella fought to control them. _You know I've done things I'm not proud of. My memories of fighting, they aren't nice and contained in a Signal training arena. They're… not pleasant. Even if I thought you could handle them, I wouldn't want to show you in front of other people._

 _You don't think I could handle it?_

 _Honestly? No._

That hurt Ruby more than she cared to admit, but Bella made no move to apologize, so she didn't push it. Instead, she grabbed the umbrella. _I think I'm done sparring for today._

Bella sighed, and the tension eased. _Yeah, maybe that's for the best._

 _W_ _e could use this as a last resort, try and use the switched semblances or something. We can keep practicing another time._

 _Wanna switch back?_

 _Nah, I like seeing._

 _I like talking too._ Walking over, Bella offered Ruby a hand. She took it and let her bondmate pull her to her feet and into a hug. _Rose, you know I don't want to keep secrets from you. I… I don't want to hurt you. There's a reason I never showed you most of my time with anyone but the Branwens._

Ruby hummed in wordless acknowledgment and hugged her back. _I know, I know…_ _But_ _, if it's hurting you, maybe you_ should _share it. Beacon does have a registered psychologist on staff, even if Ozpin never let me see them. Maybe-_

 _Ruby-_

 _T_ _hink about it, okay?_ She pressed her face into Bella's shoulder. _I'll be here no matter what._

On the porch, the three members of Team STRQ watched as Bella and Ruby swayed back and forth in each other's embrace. Tai groaned and leaned back in his chair. "So, as a father, am I supposed to kick back and watch this?"

Raven leaned over and smacked the side of her ex-husband's head. "Oh, shut up."

"Think they'll notice we're talking about them?" Qrow asked.

A gentle smile crossed Raven's face, and she shook her head. "Not a chance."

* * *

 **[A/N] Well, that one was a pain in the ass. It took a ton of work, but I finally got it to the point where I'm happy with it. The Yang and Blake scene in particular took ages to get right. Anyways, Weiss practices, Oscar's feeling a lil spooked, Ruby and Qrow finally made up, and Bella and Ruby do some unorthodox training. Vixie was particularly awesome in getting this monster through all the edits, so make sure to give her lots of love!**

 **To everyone who waited and all the people who've gotten this fic to 700 followers, you're awesome and I love you all! We're making it through this volume, and I'm super excited for next chapter. It's gonna be a big one~**

 **Signing out, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 4/27/19**


	38. V4 - Never Without

Volume Four, Chapter Eight: Never Without

* * *

re:Bound

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date:

Beta: Vixie

* * *

Blake was always peaceful while she slept.

Watching her girlfriend sleep had always made Yang happy, if only because of how rare it was for her to be awake while Blake slept. Insomnia tended to going to sleep and waking up alone, which she had come to terms with. Still, whenever Yang caught Blake like this – curled up in her blankets, fists half-clenched, ears twitching – she couldn't help but watch with a little smile and file the memory away. _I used to watch Ruby like this too_ _, back when she was a little kid…_

Gods, Ruby. Half a world away from Patch in a dusty bandit camp, Ruby had never felt further away from her. They had barely spoken at the funeral. Yang had tried, too, but every time she saw Ruby, she could only think of how betrayed Ruby had made her feel, compounded by the devastation of the attack. Making amends with Blake had taken a month of fighting and pain. Yang's wounds from her sister ran so much deeper, and they'd done nothing but fester since she'd arrived at Raven's camp.

 _"_ _Did she just say my mother's name?"_

 _"_ _You knew. My girlfriend and my sister, and you didn't fucking tell me?!"_

 _"_ _It was you. You were the reason Ruby snapped."_

Yang blinked. She had staggered backward several paces and collided with her bedside table, her hand shaking. She took a series of too-short breaths, trying to fight the panic, but she _couldn't hold her arm- couldn't comfort her sister- couldn't save Dane-_

And worst of all, she couldn't even figure out who had set her off – Adam Taurus, Bella Branwen, or the half-sister who used to be the most important person in her life.

When Ruby had woken up in the hospital, she had asked Yang _"_ _Do you hate me now?"_ Back then, Yang hadn't been able to see through her fear and worry. She'd answered that nothing would ever change their relationship, and she'd been _wrong._ How had she been so wrong? Yang hadn't seen it when she comforted Ruby the night after initiation, when Ruby refused to tell her what was wrong. Yang _should_ have seen it after Ruby snapped, when she'd beaten her down in front of their entire combat class without a second thought.

 _"Sometimes…_ _Sometimes people just change, and there_ _isn't anything we can do about it."_

Yang had hated Blake for telling her that, for saying that about her sister, but she had been right. All along, Blake had always seen Ruby for who she was, the good and the bad. Yang hadn't. She was too lost who Ruby used to be to see who she had become, and she had been too blind to help Ruby when she had needed her most. Yang had failed, irreparably, as a sister,

And now Ruby was a different person, with a different life, and Yang barely factored into it. She couldn't help her now, even if she wanted to, and Ruby wasn't there for her, either.

Blake stirred, and Yang cursed mentally. Sliding down the wooden cabinet, she hung her head and fought to get her control back, desperate – _I can't disturb Blake, not when she finally got to sleep._ The air was too hot, too stuffy, too humid. Everything was tilting, or maybe that was her tilting, and her arm wouldn't stop shaking, and- and-

 _I can't go on like this._

Crystal.

In an instant, Yang's world went eerie calm. She leaned against the drawers, blonde hair streaming onto the dirt below, and _breathed –_ in, out; in out. Sunlight filtered into the tent through the flaps, early morning light, motes levitating skyward like dust, sparkling. She raised her arm before her, slow and careful, watching her fingers tremble with the detached interest of a theater-goer. _I should be holding my hand right now,_ Yang told herself. _My hand should be there, on my other wrist. I should be- I…_

Yang closed her eyes and wished Ruby would comfort her from half a world away.

There was no response. Her hand relaxed and fell to her lap, limp.

 _I wish things were different._

* * *

 _"_ _Vale is celebrating_ _today_ _as clean-up_ _efforts_ _from June's Vytal Festival attack make significant progress across the city, particularly in the lighter hit Industrial and Agricultural districts._ _Headmistress Glynda Goodwitch has announced that Beacon Ac_ _a_ _demy, damaged in an assault responsible for the deaths of former Headmaster Ozpin and two students, is now ready for students this upcoming school year. Goodwitch has announced a ceremony for the reopening of Vale's CCT tower, damaged in the EMP blast. The ceremony will take place this Sunday and is open to the public, approximately a month before classes are set to begin. And now, we turn back to the Commercial District, where damages have still barely begun to be repaired..."_

Ruby blinked when the mute symbol came on the holoscreen, silencing Lisa Lavender's report. Pushing Bella off her shoulder to her half-asleep protests, she turned toward Tai, who stood behind the couch, remote in hand. "Dad? Why'd you mute it?"

Tai ruffled her hair, eyes distant, and nodded toward the kitchen. "Qrow wants to talk to you, Rubes. You should wake Bella up too."

 _Huh? What about me?_ Bella pushed herself to a sitting position, blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face. _I'm awake, I'm awake._

 _Maybe it's what Qrow wanted to talk about in the garage the other day._

 _I bet that's it._ {Can't we talk in here?} Bella asked Tai, and he shook his head.

"Sorry, kid. Everyone else is already waiting in there. We need a team meeting, all hands on deck."

Ruby groaned and pushed herself to her feet, pulling a protesting Bella up with her. She hadn't been so sore in months; she and Bella had dived head-first into their new training regimen, dead-set on mastering both their old strategies and their new body-swapping powers. It wasn't just the two of them, either. Everyone in the house was feeling a rise in tension and upping their training.

 _Why has everyone started training so much harder again? I mean, I know Weiss has gotten super focused..._

Bella stretched, yawning. _Pyrrha's been training with Mom, too._

 _Yeah._

 _We're moving forward, you know?_

Ruby nodded in determination and pulled Bella toward the kitchen. _C'mon, let's go see what Qrow has to say._

In the kitchen, the rest of the house had already gathered around the table. Pyrrha was lazily tossing a flame-forged dagger, catching it by the handle point down every time. Qrow and Nora were both lounging in the chairs, Nora flipping through a big stack of mail. "Junk, junk, junk- ooh, a coupon!" Weiss, the only person who had bothered getting dressed on a Saturday morning, was pacing back and forth across the kitchen, agitated. _What's wrong with her today?_ Bella muttered as they walked in and jumped up to sit on the granite counter-top.

 _No idea. Maybe she got another text from her dad?_

Bella frowned. _Either that, or she already knows what we're going to talk about and it isn't good._

"Hey, Pyrrha!" Nora called. "This one's addressed to you."

Pyrrha blinked. She missed her catch but managed to pull the dagger back to her hand with polarity before she got stabbed. "For me?"

"Yup."

Sure enough, there was a cream-colored envelope addressed to Pyrrha Nikos in careful handwriting. The return address in the upper corner read "The Arc Family, Domremy Farm, Delta District, Notch, Kingdom of Vale." Biting her lower lip, Pyrrha took the envelope and sliced through the adhesive with her dagger. The letter inside was written on folded loose-leaf paper, crinkled in the corner – somebody had doodled a flower on the front in crayon, which brought a smile to her face.

"Who's it from?" Weiss asked.

Pyrrha smoothed the letter out on the table, her finger tracing over the messy petals. "Jaune's family."

She began reading aloud.

" _Dear Pyrrha and Nora,_

 _My husband and just wanted to thank you again for how wonderful you and your team were for putting together the arrangements and everything last month. It hasn't been easy, but I've been so happy knowing my baby has such a peaceful place to rest and journey beyond. Thank you."_

Weiss sucked in a breath and turned away to the window. Thrown off, Pyrrha stammered out the next few words before finding her rhythm again.

 _"In any case, we were hoping that_ _you and Nora_ _might enjoy coming down for dinner this coming Sunday at our farm south of Vale._ _I know_ _Opal and Topaz, my twins,_ _ha_ _ve_ _been asking to see the 'pretty red-haired lady' again,_ _and I'm sure all the rest will be happy as well. Nicholas has always been averse to holoscreens, so I'm afraid there's no way for you to tell us if you can't come except by mail, but there_ _will_ _be a seat at the table for you two anyways._

 _Take care,_

 _Juniper Arc"_

Pyrrha lifted her gaze back to Nora, who had a warped half-smile plastered on her face. Weiss turned away from the window with a sigh, the cabinet behind her groaning when she leaned back on it, massaging her temples. For a moment, the only sound in the kitchen came from Zwei drinking from his bowl by the back door.

"Pyrrha?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah?" Pyrrha's voice came out faint, twisting her heart.

 _Every time it goes away, death always finds its way back. Why today?_ Ruby exchanged a silent glance with Nora. "Are you gonna go?"

"I- I think so." Mechanically, Pyrrha refolded the letter and slipped it back into the envelope, staring blank at the address. The paper crinkled every time she turned it over in her hands. Ruby wanted nothing more than to hug her, but Bella's hand fell on her shoulder, holding her back.

 _Give her space, Rose._

 _But-_

 _You know she's never been great with emotions. She needs to process. I've seen it before. She knows you love her, so let her be._

 _Alright…_

Weiss cleared her throat. Everybody sat up straighter, even the adults. She surveyed the room with icy steel eyes, the depth of her emotional restraint on full display. If anything, the sight made Ruby's heart swell in a fleeting moment of hope. "So," Weiss said, curt. "Qrow. You said we have something important to talk about?"

Qrow nodded, rolling his neck with a drunken groan. "Right. We've been trying to keep you kids out of this for as long as possible, but we can't anymore." He looked right at Ruby, who gulped. "It's about Harkan."

The effect on the people in the room was instantaneous. Ruby and Bella both jumped off the counter, Bella pushing down a moment of panic as she went for her umbrella and came up empty-handed. At the table, Pyrrha sucked in a sharp breath, exchanging a glance with Nora. As the most reserved person in the room, Weiss controlled her reaction, but Ruby could still see the intense anger and anxiety in her expression. Ruby knew Weiss was remembering the ambush Harkan had set for them that had 'killed' Emmy and Merc.

"What about Harkan?" Weiss asked, voice cold.

Qrow sighed. "Rubes did a number on him after the attack, put him in a coma with her eyes. We've had him locked up in our most secure cell. Thing is, he's awake now. We've been trying to get information out of him, but nothing's been working."

"Kill him," Ruby spat. The violence in her tone made both Tai and Pyrrha look at her in alarm, but she didn't care. Even the mention of Harkan brought a wave of painful memories back, memories of fire and burning and Crescent Rose and Neopolitan. The world wouldn't be safe until he was well and truly dead.

"Not with his aura bond, we can't," Tai murmured.

Bella and Ruby's anger burned in unison. "Then amputate his arms and legs so he can't move, or something," Ruby snapped, Bella crafting their words with her. "I assume you have him in a cage somewhere? You saw what he did to Vale, to us! He took out a city in ten minutes! We've _seen_ what he can do. He's massacred people to get to me across three kingdoms, and he's been doing that for centuries! We-" Ruby lowered her gaze for a moment. "We thought you took care of him, not kept him somewhere until his wounds healed!"

"Oh my god," Nora said, looking vaguely queasy.

"We _can't_." Qrow rose to his feet, rubbing his stubble in agitation. "You two should _know_ how an aura bond functions. Salem bound him to the Grimm in some way. We can handle that now when there's only the Lich, but if you drive him insane? He's bound to some ancient monstrosity of a Grimm that's been alive for longer than Vale's existed, and we can't even _try_ to kill him until we figure out what it is and make sure if won't destroy Remnant!"

That was enough to shut Ruby up.

A giant Grimm? Pyrrha had told her stories about her time training with Raven in the Wastelands in hushed tones, stories of monstrosities that would dwarf Beacon like a doll house. If Harkan was connected to something like that – had every private thought in his head transmitted to the Grimm – and he managed to bring it into battle with him? _How- What-_

The realization dawned on Ruby before she finished her thought train. "He wants something, doesn't he?"

Qrow nodded, his expression grim. "You. He wants you."

* * *

Once, when the Kingdom of Vale stretched across Eastern Sanus, the city itself stretched from the upper peninsula all the way south for thirty miles. Now, the wilderness had crept back into the gaps, and Vale had two smaller, satellite cities to the south: Basin and Notch. Notch was the southernmost of the two, a small medieval town that hung close to the ocean and maintained a long wall around the ring of farms that provided the majority of the kingdom's food. The Arc family home, Domremy Farm, was a quaint farm along the banks of the Delta River complete with a long low-hanging bank of cherry trees and an old house with orange paint that had never lost its charm.

Pyrrha watched the farm draw near from above with a faint smile, the wind whipping her head as the thrum of the Bullhead vibrated in her chest. _So, this is- was Jaune's home._ It was quaint – the quiet porch looking out on the river, the playset in the yard, the big bay windows. Two small forms emerged from the house below, Nicholas and Juniper, and waved. Pyrrha didn't have a chance to wave back as they disappeared behind the tree cover, the Bullhead coming in to land in a field left ungrown to recover for the season. Knife-like cypresses ate up the sky.

Engines cut out. "Alright, kids, I'm going to take this thing into town," the pilot called from the cockpit. "I'll be back tonight to pick you up."

"Okay, thank you," Pyrrha called back.

Nora walked up to Pyrrha's side, hands behind her back. Both girls had dressed up for the evening; Nora had gotten Weiss to plait her hair and wore a pink cardigan, while Pyrrha elected for a simple red dress, unable to bring herself to wear another black dress after she had burned her last one to ash at the funeral. Neither of them were armed. "Are you ready?" Nora asked, her eyes betraying her worry.

Pyrrha hesitated, thought, then nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

Dried husks of corn and withered old stalks snapped underfoot on their way to the main house. Hot August wind scorched through the trees, but Pyrrha didn't- couldn't- feel the heat, not with her own fire simmering underneath. Nora shifted every few paces, messing with her layers and scratching at her hair. "Are farms supposed to be this big?" She waved her hands at their surroundings. "I mean, where are all the _cows?_ "

Pyrrha hid her smile behind her hand, already in her high-class mode. "That would be for a dairy farm, Nora."

"Ooh, maybe we should give them a cow! Dinner guests are supposed to bring things, right?" Nora tapped her chin in thought, but the pensive look didn't quite reach her eyes.

 _She's coping too._ Pyrrha quashed her smile before it could turn sad too. _I should… I need to roll with her, with her humor tonight._ "Where would we even get a cow?"

"Easy, silly! You'll just magic one over, and then- Uh..."

"Then they'd have a cow?"

" _Exactly."_ Nora nodded, and they fell back into silence. Pyrrha sighed as the empty field melted into a cornfield; why wasn't there anywhere closer for the Bullhead to park? Sure, harvest season was coming soon, but- "Pyrrha?"

"Yeah?" Pyrrha responded absently.

Nora shifted, her awkwardness coming to the forefront. "What… exactly happens at a dinner party? I've kinda never been invited to one before."

 _People get drunk and make stupid decisions._ That was her old life, though. The Arcs didn't seem like the sort of people who were tuned in to Mistrali high culture. "We're going to eat a meal and talk," Pyrrha said, fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "That's all. Maybe have a glass of wine, or something?"

"Oh." Nora blushed and ducked her head. "Right. I don't _reeeally_ think that's a good idea… The last time that Re-" A pause. "The last time that I got drunk, I- it- Well, it didn't exactly go well..."

"What happened?"

"I broke the restaurant?"

Pyrrha stared at Nora. "How do you _break_ a restaurant?"

Instead of laughing and launching into the story, Nora went even more downcast. "They won't be, like, offended or anything if I don't-"

"Nora, stop." Pyrrha paused to put her hands on Nora's shoulders, sighing again when she saw the pain in her teammate's eyes. "You don't have to do anything, okay? If you- if you don't feel like you can do this, then we can leave-"

"I can do this!" Nora snapped, her voice a bit too loud, defensive. She knocked Pyrrha's hands away and averted her eyes. "I _can_ \- I-"

Pyrrha wavered awkwardly a few paces ahead of Nora, unsure of what to say. _She's staring off into the distance. Should I-_ When Nora gave no sign of moving, Pyrrha reached over and placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder. "We've got this, okay?"

"I know." Nora slouched, turning back toward Pyrrha. Her plaited hair was wrong on her, Pyrrha reflected. Even for the dance, Nora had never put her hair up. With make-up, it made her look like a completely different person. "I know..."

Uncertainty was never reassuring. Letting go of Nora, Pyrrha gestured toward the house, whose roof had come into view. "Ready now?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

They walked out of the cornfield and up to the house.

Juniper sat on the front porch, waiting with a book on the chair swing. When they came to the front steps, she got to her feet and came down to greet them, giving them both warm hugs. "Thank you for coming, dears, both of you. Come in, come in – Nicholas was cooking dinner, and all the girls are inside getting ready."

Pyrrha and Nora exchanged one last look in anticipation before letting Juniper lead them into the house.

The Arc's living room was a chaotic mess of colors and toys, overflowing with more clutter than Pyrrha had seen in her entire life. The smell of home-cooked food, onions and meat, filled the air. Everywhere Pyrrha turned her gaze, she saw signs of Jaune – he sat in the middle of a big family portrait framed by the bookshelves and one of his guitars hung from the wall. There was nowhere she could look without seeing something that screamed of Jaune.

To her credit, Juniper seemed to notice her expression. "Here, why don't we sit in the kitchen?" she asked kindly. "This room is always such a mess, especially in summer. I mean to clean it- here, here, let's go." She guided them with a gentle hand out of the room.

The kitchen was much smaller which, if anything, was worse. Nicholas had busied himself around the stove, stirring at a pot and humming to himself. Pyrrha settled into a wicker chair in a daze, unable to tear her eyes off of a picture of Jaune, small, in a cast, giving the camera a sheepish smile. _He's everywhere… How can I- I- This was a bad idea. How-_

Fall began to burn ominously beneath her skin.

Nora leaned over and squeezed her hand, snapping her back to the present. The tension fell away from Pyrrha's shoulder. "Thank you," Pyrrha whispered to Nora, who nodded back.

 _He's gone. A bunch of family pictures isn't going to bring him back._

Her powers cooled back to a simmer beneath her skin. Pyrrha did her best to cover up the tiny scorch mark she had made in the wooden table. _Maybe they won't notice…_

Nicholas stopped stirring and banged the soup spoon against the pot rim to get the spinach off, then laid it on the counter. Turning to Pyrrha and Nora, he massaged his beard. "You two want anything to drink?" Nicholas asked. "We've got some fine wine and a bottle of scotch, plus water and milk."

They exchanged a wry glance. "Just milk, please," Nora said.

Pyrrha played with the idea of staying sober for a moment, but caught sight of Jaune's picture again and sighed. _I can't get through this without something to drink._ Her partying days had been over for years, but Pyrrha had never lost her taste for good alcohol. For the long nights alone in her Mistral apartment, she had never had any qualms on blowing her parent's money to get good liquor. At Beacon, she had done her best to go sober, but after the attack..."I'll have a glass of scotch, please."

"You drink scotch, Nikos?" Hazel walked into the room with Sapphire at her heels. The Arc girls both had their fancy dinner dresses on. "I took you for more of a champagne girl, but fair enough."

Pyrrha shot Nicholas a grateful smile when he put the glass down in front of her, ice hissing against the sides. "Don't be rude, Hazel," Juniper admonished. "Pyrrha is _our_ guest tonight, remember? Don't make Father and I sit you down and have another talk..."

Hazel flushed and sat down at the far end of the table from Pyrrha and Nora, crossing her arms. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"I am partial to champagne," Pyrrha murmured.

Sapphire sat down, and Nicholas went back to cooking. Wringing her hands, Juniper was trying not to stare at Pyrrha and failing. Awkward silence stretched out for a long moment, punctuated by the clinking of ice cubes when Pyrrha took a long drink.

"So, what's for dinner?" Nora asked.

"Brisket and wedding soup. It's my personal recipe." Nicholas smiled, proud. "Jau- Everyone round here loves it. Juniper and I figured you two would like it too."

"Ooh, you cook? Do you have a pancake recipe?"

Juniper smiled absently as Nora and Nicholas dove into a conversation about food, sucking a reluctant Sapphire in with them. "I'll go get the little ones ready, and then we can eat. Coral has a mission, so she's not going to make it. Pardon me, dear…" She brushed past Pyrrha and disappeared up the stairwell.

Hazel glared at Pyrrha. Pyrrha stared back. _Blonde hair. Why do they all have to have the same blonde hair?_ Pyrrha grabbed her glass and downed the rest of her drink, savoring the buzz she already felt. Focusing on the conversation was too much. Being at the Arc family home was too much. The old-fashioned lights made her head hurt. So Pyrrha let the conversation get away from her, let herself sit perfectly straight in her chair and eat with stately manners and smile every time her name was said, and zoned out from the dinner at hand entirely.

 _Jaune should be here._

At least the brisket was good.

She came out of her haze around when the ice cream was packed back into the freezer. Juniper had already taken Amber and the twins upstairs to put them to bed and Coral had gone back into the city, leaving Pyrrha, Nora, Hazel, Sapphire, and the elder Arcs in the kitchen as the grown-ups began clean-up. The fine wood-grain of the table was hypnotizing, capturing her tired eyes. Fingers drummed anxiously on her thighs.

"You alright?" Nora murmured, leaning in toward her side.

Pyrrha nodded sharply, too sharply. "Fine."

 _I'm not fine, I'm on fire, I'm burning and there's an arrow in my ankle and-_

 _"_ _Maybe this time you need a hero!"_

"Pyrrha." Leaning forward in concern, Nora grabbed her opposite hand, squeezed tight. "If you need to leave, we can leave."

"I'm _fine._ " Pyrrha ripped her hand away from Nora and lurched back in her chair, which squeaked against the floor. Hazel's gaze shot up to her, but she didn't care. "I don't need you to protect me."

Nora looked even more concerned than before. She had to close her eyes to stop her powers from springing to life, because if there was one way she didn't want the evening to go south, it was by burning the Arc family house down. _Under control. Under control. This is a battle and you never lose battles-_

Ash.

 _You don't lose the stupid battles. It's just a dinner. You can do dinners. All those dinners with mother and father, the champion's dinners, the parties. You've done worse. You can do worse._

 _Don't lose. Not again._

"Is she okay?" Sapphire asked Nora from across the table, pushing her glasses up the brim of her nose.

Nora shot Pyrrha a furtive glance. "Pyrrha?"

"Let her be."

Everyone else, Pyrrha included, looked up at Hazel in surprise. Hazel had been quiet the entire dinner, alternating between playing with her fork idly and glowering at the table, so for her to speak out was surprising. "What did you say?" Nora asked, narrowing her eyes.

The fork clattered against the table top; Hazel pushed her chair back and rose to her feet. "Just let her be, okay? The only reason I agreed to come to dinner was to see whether you actually cared about my brother or not. Clearly you do, so I don't see any point in forcing you to stay here if it's going to make you miserable."

Juniper froze at the sink. Sapphire's eyes widened, and she grabbed her sister's arm. "Hazel, what are you saying?"

"Be _polite_ for out guests, Hazel," Juniper gritted out.

"No, I'm not going to be _polite,"_ Hazel shot back, mimicking her tone. "Everybody's been making small talk about school all evening while she's sitting here having a panic attack!"

"I'm fine, really," Pyrrha mumbled, slinking down in her chair.

Her lie didn't seem to take with the middle Arc sister. Hazel stalked away from the table and stopped at the doorway, her gaze sweeping over the room. "Look, don't let me drive you away if you want to stay. I'm sure you'd love family game night, or whatever. But you being here isn't going to bring Jaune back."

A piece of paper could have dropped in the kitchen and everyone would have heard it. Cold filled Pyrrha's chest as she stared at Hazel. _She has his eyes,_ she realized.

Was she here for Jaune?

 _I am, aren't I?_ All evening, had she thought about anything but Jaune, Jaune, how Jaune had lived here and loved these people and had a life that he had lost for her? _Do I even need to answer that?_

Was that it? Was her grief selfish? Nora had told her that, the day after attack. _"That's the whole point of a relationship, people do things for each other!"_ Had she listened? Had she even thought about it after Weiss broke their fight up? _I've been so caught up in training with Raven since the funeral – I haven't- I-_

Pyrrha buried her face in her hands.

At the door, Hazel pursed her lips, wavering on the threshold for a long moment. Everyone else was too stunned to react. Finally, she bit out a quick "Sorry," and slipped out of the room.

Juniper snapped out of her stunned affect and rushed to Pyrrha's side, ignoring the alarmed look she got from Nora. "Pyrrha, honey, I'm so sorry. I'm sure Hazel only meant well, and I can assure you that we'll be having _words_ over this." Reaching out, she tried to lay a damp hand on Pyrrha's forearm.

That was a mistake.

Juniper recoiled when Pyrrha slapped her hand away, her head shooting up. Her eyes burned with her maiden's powers. "Don't touch me!" she exclaimed, kicking backward and driving her chair into the wall behind her. _Not again, I can't snap again, Weiss isn't here to save me this time._

"Control it!" Nora hissed. Her teammate had jumped to her feet and gestured for Sapphire and Nicholas to leave the room. "Pyrrha, there are eleven other people in this house. I- shit, do your deep breathing thing you do with Raven."

 _fire licked at her breast her fingers spilling burning and she- she- she-_ Pyrrha dug her smoldering hands into the fabric of her dress. The air filled with the scent of burning cotton, but all she could smell was sulfur. "Breathe," she gasped. _Stop hyperventilating. Stop hyperventilating. Think about Amber,_ _she_ _won't be able to escape if I set the house- set the house on fire._

A memory that wasn't Pyrrha's rose unbidden. Amber knelt in the burning wreckage of a house, doubled over and sobbing. Through the burning drywall, Glynda burst into the room, riding crop in hand, and started trying to pull her away. The maiden didn't want to go, couldn't go. Glynda drove the flames up, into the roof, shattering it. Tiles cascaded down onto the duo, sending clouds of sparks skywards, and Glynda fell to her knees as she channeled her aura into shielding herself and Amber from the collapse.

 _Our home- no, their home. Her home. She burned her own house to the ground._

"Ren." Nora knelt at Pyrrha's side, weaponless and defenseless. "Imagine Ren here. You remember what his semblance felt like, right? How- how everything bad would slip away, and then you would feel _safe_ , like there was never anything to worry about in the first place?" Nora's voice cracked as she spoke. Hand shaking, she reached out and offered it to Pyrrha.

"Safe?" Pyrrha whispered, meeting Nora's eyes.

Nora nodded, trembling. Terrified. Through her panic, Pyrrha dully registered that the terror was directed at her. At her power. Had everyone been afraid of her the night of the funeral too? When she had broken Ruby's arm, had her best friend been scared of her? Was that who she had become?

"Yeah. Safe, like that. Can you- can you be safe? Like he was here?" Nora asked.

 _Like Jaune was here._

Pyrrha stood up abruptly and strode to the door, keeping her head down. "Thanks for the dinner, Mrs. Arc," she told the floor. "Sorry."

Juniper protested and Nicholas sighed, but Pyrrha was out the door before she could hurt any of them, or herself, Nora hot on her heels. If any of the residents of Notch noticed an unusual fireball over the harbor that evening, nobody deigned to bring it back to Pyrrha.

* * *

Ruby hadn't been terrified in a while, as far as being a huntress went, but she sure as hell was now.

It didn't matter that Bella was at her side, one hand clutching the hilt of her umbrella, muttering across their connection. It didn't matter that Glynda was leading them through Forever Fall or that Qrow had the rear. Not even Weiss' cool determination was enough to make her feel safe.

Harkan had been the stuff of her nightmares for a year. Knowing he was alive- worse, miles from Bella, from Pyrrha, from Vale- had left her sleepless the night before.

 _He's going to kill us. We're both going to die._

Bella said something calming. Ruby tuned her out.

"Where are we going?" Weiss asked. Today, her hair was pulled up into a no-nonsense bun. She had an extra pack of dust cartridges strapped to her belt and had even spent ten more minutes than usual in the bathroom putting on fancy blue eyeshadow that burned in the light. Nora had laughed at Weiss for putting on extra make-up to see a several hundred-year-old Grimm hybrid.

Weiss had called it her battle armor.

Glynda ripped an offending branch off a tree in her path and flung it to the side with her semblance. "He attracts Grimm. I wouldn't put him anywhere near Vale. Ozpin came up with an ancient holding cell in the middle of the woods. Runs on some Sanian tech I've never seen before, blocks out most of his Grimm aura. He left instructions in case he died and we had to deal with Harkan."

 _Great, so he's dead and still messing with our lives._ Ruby scowled, rolling Rising Thorn from hand to hand. On the off chance that Harkan would manage to use his semblance, they had all agreed to make sure their weapons were combat-ready on entry. For Ruby, that meant she had to carry her naginata the entire way, much to the dismay of the bushes and tree trunks she had been slicing her way through for the past twenty minutes.

Groaning, Bella flipped a loose lock of hair out of her face. _Of course he is. Paranoid bastard probably had plans for his plans._

 _And yet Ozpin still couldn't stop the attack._

 _As if we needed another reason not to trust him, or this. A mysterious ancient cell in the middle of the woods? These woods? Are you fucking kidding me?_

Ruby scowled at Forever Fall. The last time she had visited this forest, she had killed Cardin and gone into a coma. Those were dark memories, too fresh to push away. _I never wanted to come back here._

Before Bella could respond, Weiss walked up between them, walking far more formal than usual. "You know, if you two are trying to broadcast to every Grimm for miles where we are, you're doing a wonderful job with it."

Bella flipped Weiss off. "Gee, thanks, Weiss," Ruby muttered. "Guess I'll be _happy_ about walking to meet with the Lich who wants to eat me!"

"I never said you have to be _happy_." Weiss shuddered, her eyes flickering from one side of the group to the other. "Just… try not to broadcast your anger, okay? If Ren was here, I'd ask him to help you, but..." She shrugged, helpless, and her gaze darkened.

Ruby flinched when Qrow dispatched a lone Beowulf behind them. "Yeah, well I wish Ren was here too, but he's not."

Weiss looked away.

The forest opened up into a clearing, where a mossy old stone structure huddled against a hillside, a fallen tree leaning against the top. Glynda stopped short and held out her crop to a long row of cut logs lying off to the side. The logs glowed purple and lifted into the air. Like needles, they shot towards the ground, impaling the leafy dirt with a series of dull thuds. Sweat beaded on Glynda's brow; her casting arm sagged, but she held strong until a complete wall of logs, fifteen feet high, made a complete wall around the clearing.

 _Woah._ For a moment, Ruby forgot her fear and anger and felt like the little girl hearing stories of huntresses and adventures, heros performing superhuman feats. _Glynda's semblance is amazing._

"You planned this?" Weiss asked, respect written on her face.

Glynda inclined her head, pushing her glasses up her nose and taking long, even breaths. "The prison might as well be a tomb. A pack of Beowulves gets at the entrance and we'd all be dead, no matter how much we can fight. This way, one of us will man the exterior while the others see the Lich."

 _It's good strategy._ Bella gave Glynda an appraising glance. _Mom would kill for someone who could raise a palisade like that. Those things take days to built – Silas used to be so incompetent that he would camp a town for a month before he finished the fortifications. They don't do much against good Atlesian tech or huntsmen, but for Grimm…_

 _You want to ship the headmistress of Beacon off to the bandits,_ Ruby said, her tone wry.

Bella shot a glance at the dark entrance to the prison and shrugged. _Stranger things have happened._

"I will stay outside." Glynda lifted her chin, eyes unyielding to any fear. "Qrow?"

Qrow dipped his head. "C'mon, kiddos. Who's up for a field trip?"

Ruby and Bella exchanged a black look and said nothing. Weiss snorted. "Ha, ha. Very funny. Let's mock the evil Grimm lord, why don't we? I'd rather _not_ march to our deaths right now, thank you."

"Alright, alright." Holding up his hands, Qrow stepped aside, his sword glinting under the sunlight. "Trying to lighten the mood. Lead on, Ice-" He caught Weiss' death glare and winced. "Weiss. Lead on, Weiss. I'm just backup."

"I will." Weiss stalked past Qrow, making for the archway. Ruby and Bella fell in behind her, their mental bond silent yet thick with unspoken emotion. Qrow sighed, drew his sword, and brought up the rear.

Maybe if the crypt had been silent, Ruby would have been more at ease. At least in silence, you could hear a threat coming from a mile away. No, instead, a low humming filled the dank overgrown darkness, illuminated by the light of ice dust from Myrtenaster, Rising Thorn's fire dust blade, and a torch in Qrow's hand. Moss hung thick to the walls, the floor, every available surface. Sometimes, thin glowing lines shone through the moss.

 _Something is alive here._

 _Sanian tech._ Bella poked her umbrella into the moss on the next stair and winced when it sunk three inches in. _Nobody knows how it works. Only people who even have a clue are the Atlesians, and they're more concerned with making war machines than figuring out how dust actually works._

 _Like you're a real expert._

Bella snorted. _Yeah, right. You know more about science than I do._ _The ladies in Augustus' camp liked to swap stories about the old empires. It came up, sometimes. The tribes hate Sanus like a plague._

And Ruby could imagine why, if this was the awful sort of tomb they decided to construct. Still, something about what Bella was saying rubbed her the wrong way… That was it. _You've been talking a lot about_ them _today,_ Ruby said, perhaps more accusing than she meant to be. _Why?_

Bella stopped short and Qrow bumped into her, yelping in alarm. In less than a second, Weiss had leaped into a fighting position, Myrtenaster poised to strike in her hand. When it became evident that nobody was about the attack, she growled in annoyance. "What happened?"

 _Harkan is my nightmare._ Knuckles whitening around the hilt of her umbrella, Bella met Ruby's eyes, her own stark white. _We are walking towards death, and I am doing_ everything _I possibly can to stay calm. Fighting without knowledge is like walking to the edge of a cliff blind. I will_ use _the knowledge I have, even if it comes from them._

 _We won't die._

 _Not if we know what we're up against._

 _You're hurting yourself._

 _They're_ my _memories, Rose._

 _But-_

"Ruby Rose. Bella Branwen. Look at me!" When Ruby and Bella didn't immediately look up, Weiss roared, "NOW!"

Ruby and Bella looked up.

In the pale darkness, Weiss stood out stark against the shadowed staircase. Her eyes narrowed in fury, and Myrtenaster turned on her teammates. "I've had enough. We are on our way to meet one of the most dangerous people on Remnant, and you two are in your own heads again!" Weiss stalked up a stair and grabbed the front of Ruby's shirt, pulling her in. Ruby wilted under the frigid glare. "We are on a _mission_. The last time you disobeyed my instructions on a mission, we all almost _died_. So when I ask you what happened, you will ANSWER ME!"

Weiss' voice echoed up and down the staircase, dampened and distorted by the moss. She took deep breaths, Myrtenaster's light bobbing up and down. Qrow and Bella stared at Weiss with identical expressions of shock, but Ruby narrowed her eye. "I was _asking_ Bella a _question_ ," Ruby hissed, close enough to Weiss' face to feel the heat of her breath. "If it was important-"

"I AM YOUR LEADER!"

Dead silence.

Weiss picked Ruby up by her shirt and shoved her. Ruby collided against the stairs, a bed of moss cushioning her head and most of her back, aura flashing around her body. Pain shot through her shoulder; Bella rushed to her side, eyes wide, but Ruby kept her gaze trained on Weiss.

"From the moment you arrived at Beacon, you have done nothing but disrespect me and my leadership," Weiss whispered, her words cutting through the dense air. "You have lied to me. You have conspired behind my back. You have endangered yourself, your teammates, me. And I have forgiven you, Ruby, because I've watched you change. I've watched you try to be better. But _unless_ you listen to me, _unless_ you start treating this with the focus it needs, then everyone and everything around you is in danger _because_ of you. So when I give you an instruction, you will listen to me and do it!"

Ruby saw red. "Bella and I were having a private conversation," she hissed back. "So I'm fucking sorry if we _startled_ you, but-"

"You're a _liability!_ " Weiss shouted. "This is why we have group comms! Every time you and Bella get in your heads during a mission, you put everyone around you in danger! And I. Won't. HAVE IT!"

Ruby opened her mouth only to find Qrow pointing his sword at her face. "Listen to Weiss, Ruby," Qrow said, no trace of humor in his expression.

Ruby opened her mouth to protest, but Weiss cut her off. "Do you remember what I told you after we were ambushed in May? You're not a leader, you're a hero. You think you can solve everything on your own, but you can't. And right now? A hero is the last thing we need. We are here to get information out of Harkan – nothing more, nothing less. You need to learn how to be a huntress, because right now? You're acting like a child."

 _Like a child._ Like nothing else Weiss had said, that incensed Ruby's anger. What did Weiss know about being a child? Bella had been fighting wars since she was eight! "I'm not-"

"Yes, you are." Ruby stared into Weiss' face, trying to understand the look on her face, but couldn't find anything but disappointment. "You're a child, Ruby. If you were a huntress, you'd understand what I'm saying, but you don't. You can't. All you care about is Bella."

Turning away, Weiss walked into the darkness ahead.

Ruby stared. Waited. Turned the words over in her head, blank. Qrow and Bella both pushed past her, Bella shooting her a conflicted, silent look before following Weiss. Against the wall, Rising Thorn slid a few inches, scraping the ancient stone and sending pebbles tumbling down the steps. The blade glowed red; Ruby's eyes glowed red; the moss, the stone, all of it, illuminated in a hazy crimson that bled into the nothingness around her.

 _Bella?_

 _Not now, Ruby._

And Bella shut down her side of the link.

Ruby was alone.

She pulled Rising Thorn out of the moss and sat down in place, staring at where Bella had been. Bella had cut her off and she couldn't- wouldn't- risk trying to reach through the barrier, not when she might accidentally command her and break her trust again. Water dripped onto her palm, seeping through her clenched fist. Ruby looked up. The ceiling was smooth, like a chute at a park, and seemed dry under the dustlight. _Oh,_ she realized, tracing the tear streak down her cheek. _That's me._

 _All I care about is Bella._

She couldn't do this, not here. Not halfway down an overgrown staircase in the middle of Forever Fall on her way to see the man who wouldn't rest until she was dead. Not when Bella- when her team- when she- They needed her, didn't they? Harkan asked to see her _because I'm the one he wants dead_. Information- they wanted information, and they couldn't get it without her there. She imagined Bella standing petrified before Harkan in fear, paralyzed, eyes white, swaying in place, couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think; _and she could never think for herself, could she?_ Could she? Could she?

The dust round in Rising Thorn ran out, and Ruby was plunged into darkness.

She had never been in silence so absolute.

Ruby was nowhere; she sat at the edge of Beacon cliff, back pressed to a boulder, about to tumble off the edge. Her breath quickened. Ruby's only lifeline was Rising Thorn – she clung to her naginata, pressing the hilt into the crook on her neck, swaying back and forth. In that moment, Ruby longed for Crescent Rose, for her baby, the one weapon that had always been _hers_ , and only hers. _I used to try to make friends by talking about Crescent, didn't I? I used to have plans for how_ _to_ _show her to people_ _and everything._

A memory came to her: of Summer, comforting her during a thunderstorm. Ruby had begged and begged for her to read her a story, burying her face in her white cloak every time a bolt of lightning struck outside. Summer had smiled and told her stories of huntsmen and princesses. Ruby had gotten to turn the pages, tracing her finger over the pictures in had wanted to be a hero, back then. Summer had just laughed and hugged her, pressing a kiss to her head, and told her she would be proud of her no matter what she became.

Rising Thorn trembled in Ruby's hands, invisible in the dark. _This is Mom's weapon, not mine. It's never been mine._ Bella had told her she still fought like she had Crescent Rose, hadn't she? Bella had told her- She-

 _"Rose, you're fifteen! Nobody expects you to save the world! You took out an immortal Grimm hybrid created by Salem! Do you have any idea how fucking proud I am of you?"_

Bella had told her that too, hadn't she?

They had never gone on a break. Sure, they weren't calling it a relationship anymore, but had anything changed between Bella and Ruby? Had they talked anything through? Had they fixed a single one of their problems? _No. Nothing changed. We might as well have never gone through the attack._

Who was Ruby without Bella?

 _I'm nobody,_ Ruby realized. _I have nothing anymore. I might as well not exist._

On that staircase, surrounded by the pitch-black, with no link in her mind to answer her thoughts, she felt that way too.

Nothing. Nothing at all.

 _No. Wait._

There was light, so faint it barely shone through her pouch, but there nonetheless. Hand trembling, Ruby unbuttoned the clasp and pulled out a red dust crystal. The crystal glowed, the thrum of power lingering on her fingers when she rolled in onto her palm, turning her skin ruby. The dust was whole, fine-cut edges and crystalline points, the finest cut Weiss had to offer. She closed her fingers around it; still, the glow shone through.

Bella had made her promise to her, the first one, before all that would follow. _She promised she would break me_. And she had. Ruby laughed through her tears, clutching the dust crystal so hard that the edges dug into her hand, drawing blood that trickled to the point and dripped onto the steps. _After all that we've come together, after being closer than anyone in the world, after_ loving _her, and she still broke me. I'm shattered._

An unbridled scream threatened to rip from her lips. Ruby burst to her feet, crystal held high in the air, ready to pitch the fire dust at the stairs and watch the world go up in flames, but something held her hand. Blood trickled down her wrist.

 _Roman Torchwick threw the dust crystal- She had to act- She had no choice- And when they went off the edge-_

 _She would regret opening her eyes for the rest of her life._

Ruby let her hand sag.

She never should have gone after Roman Torchwick- Never should have let Bella in- Never should have killed Cardin- Never should have let Bella close- Never should have agreed to lead the defense- Never should have told Bella she loved her- Never should have watched Vale burn-

She never should have let Bella go.

 _"_ _You're shattered, Rose. I can feel it, in your mind, in everything that you do. Here's the thing- When you're broken, nobody's going to fix you. This world give you your shit,_ _and then it fucks you over with it again and again until you're dead. Either you fix yourself, or you die."_

Ruby stood on the edge of a cliff in the night, darkness ahead and darkness behind. Somewhere down below, Bella and Weiss were waiting for her. So was Harkan. Harkan was death, her doom, an impossible enemy who wouldn't rest until he killed her. But, in that moment, it wasn't Harkan who Ruby feared.

 _"_ _You don't need me to give you nightmares, Ruby Rose."_

She feared Bella.

 _"All I have to do is find them."_

She loved Bella.

 _"_ _Yeah, you know what? You were afraid of Harkan and Cinder. I was afraid of_ you _."_

And if she went down into the abyss to Bella, then she truly would be nothing.

 _"Fix yourself, or die."_

Ruby held Rising Thorn out before her with one hand and the dust crystal with the other. _My mother's weapon. Not mine. Never mine._ She jammed the heel of her fist into the empty dust cartridge and it slid open. Wincing, she pushed the dust crystal into the cartridge and closed it again. The blade of the naginata hummed back to life, and the eerie red glow returned to the staircase. The balance turned in the dark.

 _If I'm broken, then I'll fix myself, no matter what. I won't let Weiss be right. I won't be the person Bella wanted me to be._

 _Never again._

Ruby gazed one last time down the steps, wiped the blood off on her skirt, and walked back up the winding staircase towards the light.

* * *

"Nora?"

Nora looked up at Pyrrha with tired eyes. "Pyrrha."

They sat on the floor of the Bullhead, backs against the row of seats, legs sprawled out across the metal floor. It was uncomfortable, but Pyrrha couldn't bring herself to care. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't have gone."

Closing her eyes, Nora pulled her knees to her chest and nodded. "Yeah. I- I tried, really. But it's _so hard_ to be- to be cheerful like that when they're all staring at us like- like- I don't even know."

"I couldn't even do that much."

The Bullhead's engines roared around them, too loud to be tuned out. The airship tilted, sending a loose canister rolling across the ground until it clanged against the wall, coming to an abrupt stop. The noise made Nora flinch, a hand flying to where Manghild would have been strapped. Of course, their weapons were back on Patch, so she came up with nothing. Pyrrha watched Nora tense, watched how her fist clenched and her eyes tightened.

Her shoulders began to shake, so Pyrrha looked away. "Do you think I'm selfish?"

"Pyrrha..." Nora sighed after a long moment.

"Answer me. Please."

A hand fell on Pyrrha's shoulder. Pyrrha didn't turn to look. "You know I don't like lying," Nora said, her voice quiet. "I won't lie to you, Pyrrha."

"I don't want you to."

"This is about Jaune, isn't it?"

Pyrrha squeezed her eyes shut and took a sharp breath. "Please."

"...Yeah." Nora pulled her hand away, her voice cutting through Pyrrha's thoughts like a knife. "If this is about Jaune, then yeah. I do. I think you were selfish with him."

"What?" Pyrrha looked at Nora. "No, that's not what I-"

Nora frowned. "Then what did you mean?"

"I meant with- with grieving, and all..."

"Yeah, and I meant with Jaune." Nora and Pyrrha stared at each other for a long moment, before Nora kept talking. "Don't be stupid, Pyrrha. Grief is selfish, that's the whole point. That's not a bad thing. What I mean is that Weiss might have shut down the argument we had the day after the attack, but I never stopping thinking about it."

"The argument?" Pyrrha wracked her brain, trying to remember a single thing that had happened the day after the attack, and drew a complete blank. The confusion must have shown on her face, because Nora laughed harshly.

"Of course you don't even remember it."

"I-"

Nora waved a hand. "No, it's fine. You were angry, I was angry, we all were overwhelmed. But that doesn't make it any less important."

 _What am I forgetting?_ Pyrrha felt weak at the unasked-for forgiveness, unworthy of the show of true friendship. "What argument?"

If anything, Nora seemed sad when she met Pyrrha's eyes. "About Ruby, Pyrrha. I was talking about how you always chose Ruby over Jaune."

 _Oh._

Silence fell over them like a shadow, the light failing as sunset overtook the sky. "He cared about you," Nora said. "More than anything. I know you cared about him too, but he would have done anything for you. He _did_ , Pyrrha. He did- I- I don't even know if I could have done what he did for Ren. He was a hero. And I know- I don't blame you for not seeing it, in that moment. I know you didn't want him to die for you, but he did. I just..." Nora looked away abruptly. "You were always there for him, but you never let him be there for you."

And Pyrrha had no words to respond with, because Nora was right. _I loved Jaune though, so why can't I say that?! Why can't I? He was there for me, wasn't he? I needed him! And he was, he- We- I-_

" _Think_ about it, Pyrrha." Nora rested a hand on her wrist, forcing her gaze over. "You trained him, you taught him how to be a leader, you were the one who always led your dates and everything. And every time Jaune tried to do something for you, you always brushed it off!" A pause. "Remember when Jaune was learning guitar? He was trying to ask you out to the dance with him, his way, but you asked him before he ever got a chance."

"My parents always told me I ought to be progressive when I found a partner," Pyrrha said with a frown.

"But you knew that was why he was learning!"

"And he was very good." Pyrrha shrugged, looking down. "I'm not sure I see what you're getting at."

Nora bit her lip. "Look, it's not about the guitar- It's about Ruby, okay? You know Jaune _never_ forgave Ruby, you know that. And whenever Ruby did something, you would always take her side, no matter what, even if she was _wrong_. And, I mean, you know Jaune, he would never say anything against you, only her. Ren and I noticed, but we never wanted to say anything, not until when Jaune challenged Ruby."

"Ruby did nothing wrong."

"But Jaune didn't know that."

"I told him.

"Then why didn't he believe you?" _Why?_ Pyrrha rose to her feet and started to pace. He should have. That was what she had turned over in her head for months; Jaune should have stopped, should have listened to her. Why hadn't he? "I'll tell you why," Nora said. "Because you never trusted him with your problems. Because he had _no_ reason to believe you weren't lying to him to hide what you were going through. And he was so desperate to do something- _anything_ to protect you that he humiliated himself in front of the entire school!"

 _Ruby wiped the floor with Jaune. Would it have made a difference if she hadn't? Everyone knows she's one of the strongest fighters at school. If she had gone easy on him, she still would have won, and it would have been even worse._ Pyrrha's heels clanged against the metal floor every time she turned, hollow. She had used a lot of her magic reserves to unleash her emotions over Notch, so she wasn't burning, but she could still feel her aura roiling beneath her skin. "How was he helping me? All he did was hurt me worse."

"I know!" Raw emotion dripped from Nora's voice. She jumped to her feet behind Pyrrha. "That's the worst part!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking. "You don't understand. You _can't_ understand. Do you even know how scared Jaune was the night before the attack? When you dragged him away and told him you weren't sure if you were going to survive the next day? What kind of thing is that to say to someone? And you wouldn't even tell him what was wrong, and then you talked him into sleeping with you! That's- I-" Pyrrha tried to speak, but Nora whipped around, eyes blazing. "No! Shut up and listen to me! Jaune was the most innocent person I know, and you took advantage of him! He came in crying the next morning, after you went to get ready, because of how horrible you had been treating him-"

Pyrrha whipped around. "What the hell are you talking about? He _said_ after that it was amazing! I would _never_ sleep with someone without-"

"Yeah, after guilting him into it?" Nora shot back.

Fury pooled in Pyrrha's gut. "How was I guilting him into it? He _liked_ it! We'd been dating for months! We were both eighteen!"

"Well, clearly he didn't like it, or otherwise he wouldn't have been crying about it afterward! And you know what, it doesn't even matter!" Nora strode up to Pyrrha, close enough to feel the heat rolling off her body, and forced her to stop pacing. "Because at the end of the day, you were so wrapped up in your _stupid_ destiny that you never even considered the safety of your team! All you ever thought about was how you were in danger, and you know what? Guess who fucking died? Jaune and Ren. Not. You. And you know why Jaune died? Because he was so desperate to protect you that he jumped in between you and Cinder and he _died_. You heard every word he said. 'Maybe this time you need a hero.'" Nora laughed coldly. "He was a goddamn hero, and you remember him like he was little boy who needed protection. He wasn't. He was a huntsman and he saved your life, and you're selfish if you think anything else."

Never had Pyrrha wanted to hit Nora more than in that moment. She was spinning out of control, thrown off her axis. "He wasn't supposed to!"

" _Supposed to?_ " Nora threw her hands in the air in utter exasperation. "Pyrrha, what does that even mean? Supposed to do what? Let Cinder kill you? Stay the weak guy who faked his transcripts and needed you to train him and save you from Ruby? Is there some sort of rulebook for a relationship? Oh, you can save me, but only on Tuesdays?!"

"You're blowing this out of proportion," Pyrrha growled.

"And you're incapable of understanding me, even if you wanted to." Shaking her head, Nora sat back down on the bench and shook her head. "I don't fucking know, Pyrrha. I don't know what you want me to say."

"Not that."

"You asked."

"I didn't mean about this."

"You never do, and that's why you're selfish."

In that moment, Pyrrha remembered the night that her parents let her leave home and move into her own apartment. It had been raining all day, and the grounds outside of the Nikos mansion were slick with fallen flower petals. She had won her first Mistrali championship three weeks ago, and she had chosen her apartment the week before. All of her belongings fit into a single red duffel back and her school backpack. Pyrrha had told her parents she would be leaving that day, but they had forgotten; when she made it to the front hall, one of Lila and Aurum's soirees was in full swing, and the guests spilled into the entry-hall in a mess of voices and high heels. She had been assaulted by people, congratulating her on her victories then turning away before she had a chance to respond. By the time she managed to track her parents down, they were so engrossed in conversation that they simply waved her off and told her to find the chauffeur. Pyrrha had arrived at her unfurnished apartment alone that night, with nothing but a bare futon and a sweatshirt for a pillow.

Nobody cared. Nobody ever cared.

 _Nobody except Jaune. But if I don't care about myself, then who will? How am I supposed to be the Invincible-_ Blood and ash. - _supposed to be strong if I don't- if I…_

"He's dead," Pyrrha said, turning away to the window. "It doesn't matter now, anyway."

"Yeah. Dead." Nora slammed her fist into the wall. It landed with a dull thud. "Gods be damned." She laid down on the bench and closed her eyes. Pyrrha stared blank out the window. Neither one of them had anything left to say.

And that was when the left wing of the Bullhead exploded.

* * *

 **[A/N] Let me tell you, this volume has taught me a thing or three about persistence.**

 **This is the third longest chapter of the fic and oh my god did it fight me tooth and nail the whole way. Makes sense, considering that Ruby and Pyrrha's character arcs both have big inflection points in this chapter. Pulling together thirty-eight chapters worth of character development is hard, but I'm so satisfied with the result.**

 **For me, Ruby has always been such a mallable character because she's adaptable in a way that everyone else in RWBY isn't. She grows. She learns. She makes herself into what she needs to be. And while that path looks super different in this fic, I think that quality never changes. So when Weiss tells Ruby to grow the fuck up and get out of her head, Ruby listens. Bella's in her own head too, but Weiss recognizes that she isn't really the one who can help her. Only Ruby can do that, and Ruby needs to move forward to do it.**

 **Pyrrha, on the other hand… Oh, she's so rigid, and it makes my heart hurt. Nora all but pleads with her to be self-aware and to accept that she's wrong, and Pyrrha can't. She's just incapable of moving forward. And at the end of the day, the only thing that's changed between now and their argument the day after the fight is that their emotions are cooled and Weiss doesn't have a chance to interrupt.**

 **Two story-long arcs – one rising, one falling. I live for moments like these.**

 **I love all of you! The finish line for this volume is hot on the horizon, so I hope you're excited :) If you want to stay hip to my writing and get some slick advice, my Tumblr is AllisonIlluminated. Come over and drop me a DM!**

 **Love, Allie**

 **Estimated Update Day: 6/9/19**


	39. V4 - No Brakes

Volume Four, Chapter Nine: No Brakes

* * *

re:Bound

Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date:

Beta: Vixie

* * *

 **[A/N] This chapter _earns_ my M rating with some particularly graphic violence. Readers be warned.**

* * *

They were spinning, falling head over heels, plummeting toward the Earth. Metal collided with Pyrrha's head and her vision went grainy – she grabbed onto something, anything, and held on for dear life. "PYRRHA!" Nora screamed, though from where she couldn't tell. A horrendous screech wrenched her hearing, tearing a scream of her own from her lips when a second explosion ripped the cockpit away and left a gaping hole in the top of the Bullhead.

The airship stopped spinning and took a nosedive toward the wilderness below.

Pyrrha's maiden powers rose to her unbidden, melting through her handhold, molten steel colliding with her chest and sticking to her side. Nora plummeted toward the hole, catching herself on a torn bench dangling above. Too panicked to remember to fly, Pyrrha fell too but lashed out with her semblance on pure instinct; she latched onto the metal and pulled as hard as she could, too hard. Glowing black, the Bullhead jerked to a sudden stop in midair, sides crumpling like a tin can. The whiplash sent Pyrrha hurtling down. She collided with Nora's bench, howling in pain when the jagged metal sliced through fabric and skin into her hip bone. Both of them were dislodged into thin air.

Pyrrha's world went white with pain. Her grip on her bond with Cinder frayed, sending a rush of dark emotion coursing into her aura. The jolt gave her enough concentration to pull her mental shield from Cinder to her pain, containing it for just long enough to see the third explosion rock the Bullhead, ripping the airship to shreds.

Then she plunged into the tree canopy and crashed into the ground.

Pain.

Something cracked. Someone screamed again. Chunks of warped machinery plunged into the earth on all sides, sending plumes of dirt and sulfur raining down on her singed face. Head swaying, Pyrrha forced herself to sit up. _We're under attack. I have to move. Nora. Where's Nora!?_

Adrenaline coursed into Pyrrha's veins. She lashed upwards at the right wing and sent it flying away with her semblance before it could land on her. The explosion rocked the woods – somewhere, something had set a fire. No time for that. The gash on her side bled profusely, and she had nothing to staunch it with.

Pyrrha felt nauseous. _No. Not nothing._

Her palm burned with magical fire. Pyrrha looked from her hand to her hip and gritted her teeth. Then, she rammed her palm against the open wound and let it burn. The blinding pain sent her rigid, back arcing, hands coming away into fists, screaming in agony. Her training with Raven did nothing to stave off the pain. When she recovered enough to see again, her hip was a charred hunk of flesh, darker than the mud beneath her. A chunk of bone was missing. Pyrrha watched as molten magic poured from her body, pooling around her wound. _Recreating the flesh._

Leaning over to the side, Pyrrha vomited. _Not human. I'm not human. I should be dead._

A maniacal laugh rang through the ringing chaos of the wreckage, and Pyrrha froze. _We're not alone._ _We're under attack._ She tried to push herself to her feet but found she couldn't move her leg. That left her only one option. Pyrrha drew on her magic, channeling it through her body, ignoring that her reserves were down and if they ran out she was unarmed, and lifted herself from the ground and into the burning sky.

On the ground, a scorpion faunus clad in white threw his head back and cackled. "She lives! The maiden lives!"

Nothing else stirred in the wreckage. There was no flash of red hair, no triumphant smile, and no sign of Nora anywhere-

 _N_ _o._

Fluttering in the smoke-fueled breeze, a torn strip of pink fabric clung to a twisted rotor, smoldering at the edges.

The assassin followed Pyrrha's gaze. When his eyes fell on Nora's cardigan, his face twisted into a sadistic smirk. He stalked forwards, his tail clickingas it twisted around him, and he laughed. " _Oh,_ I was _hoping_ you'd make this interesting."

Pyrrha raised her burning eyes to the assassin, hair spilling down her bare bloodied shoulders, flames shooting down the length of her tattered dress, burning, rising higher like a bonfire, a molten shield forming in one of her hands and a spear in her other as she spread her arms wide like an angel of death. _Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, DEAD!_ Wreathed in fury, Pyrrha struck.

The assassin flicked his wrists to reveal hidden blades and met Pyrrha head on, shockwaves ripping through burning branches from their impact. She dodged, flew left. Milo lashed out and caught the Nora's murderer's side as she flipped over his head and kicked him with the shard of her high heel. Her spear caught on something – the tail. One knife raked her side, the other caught on her shield.

Before her new wound even had a chance to bleed, Pyrrha's powers had already cauterized the wound, staunching the bleeding. All her hours training with Raven, practicing for wounded combat like her fight against Cinder, and she'd never even considered that her powers would protect her during battle. _I have a_ _thousand_ _ways to kill him if I don't have to worry as much about getting hit,_ Pyrrha realized as she ducked a swing from the stinger and kicked the assassin away.

The wrist blades. Pyrrha zeroed in on the assassin's weapons and tensed in concentration.

With a screeching lurch, his weapons glowed black, the blades warping under the pressure before twisting in on itself and plunging toward the assassin's wrists. His aura flared to life against her. The assassin looked down at his weapons with a detached smile. "Ooh, clever. Cinder was right after all. With your semblance and her maiden's powers you _are_ strong."

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes, head beginning to throb, giving her vision a red tinge. _Of course._ "So you're Audrey's, then," she growled, bringing her forged weapons back.

The assassin drew back, confused and entirely unconcerned that his own weapons were busy trying to dig into his skin. "Oh, _no._ I would never serve- Audrey, did you call her?" He laughed. "So that's her real name. I'm sure she'll just _hate_ it when I call her that."

Her triumph at taking control of the assassin's weapons was beginning to turn to fear. Pyrrha doubled her pressure on her semblance, but his aura didn't budge. _He's powerful. He has to be, if he's been sent to kill a Maiden. This is futile._ The realization froze her adrenaline, and for a terrifying moment, Pyrrha felt as though her unsteady flight might cut out, the crash site and ominous forest swaying around her. _I'm not stalling him._

 _He's stalling me._

His smile darkened. He bowed, head to the ground, his wrist drawn across his chest, scorpion tail snaking into the acrid sky. "Tyrian Callows. I live to serve my Lady Salem."

 _Salem._ "Then serve," Pyrrha said. And with a flick of her spear, she broke his blades away from his wrists and cast them into the forest, far away, leaving Tyrian behind with only his tail. Without giving him a chance to respond, she flew forward with renewed intensity, her focus now turned to ending the battle as soon as possible. _If his reserves are truly that strong, if he wasn't bluffing, I'm screwed._ Already Pyrrha could feel the drain from her explosion, for the crash, from her wounds. Unless she ended the battle soon, continuous flying would kill her before Tyrian got a chance.

That proved to be harder than Pyrrha thought (or Tyrian, considering that he had begun to scowl). As long as she was unable to stand because of her hip, she couldn't do any of her usual maneuvers, so she was left to improvise mid-air maneuvers for fighting her grounded opponent. Luckily, he was weaponless.

A feint brought Tyrian directly into the path of her shield when Pyrrha whipped a mid-air 360, the molten metal ripping through Tyrian's jacket and sending globs of steel across Tyrian's aura. Tyrian hissed, twisting away from a real lunge, blood dripping from where his weapons had been ripped from his wrists as he slashed at Pyrrha with his tail. With both spear and shield in the wrong place – _she hadn't_ trained _for this_ – Pyrrha flew skyward in an awkward arc that left her embarrassingly vulnerable and gave Tyrian enough time to grab a piece of debris and violently swing it into the haft of her spear, shattering it. Pyrrha shrieked in rage, the rest of the broken forged weapon dissolving into embers, and hid behind her shield as she shot a gout of flame directly at Tyrian. _Brute force it is._

Flame splashed across the crash site, immolating everything that wasn't already on fire. The strip of Nora's cardigan turned to ash. Tyrian _screamed_ , haunting and sharp. The rush of power seized Pyrrha's heart, more potent than any semblance she had ever felt. Flinging her forged shield aside, she brought her other hand forward and doubled her magic.

Wreckage blackened with heat. Trees snapped and fell, sparks flying into the smog above.

"Die _."_

Overwhelming power. Pyrrha was as drained as a dust crystal, dull and cracked, wreathed in nothing but flames with most of her magic and her aura gone. Yet, she still wielded more power than she could comprehend. _And I'm not even a full maiden. Is this what Salem wants? If she gets it, how will we survive?_

Tyrian had burned enough. She let her powers cut out and there was nothing- _nothing_ left behind but scorched earth and twisted thin black skeletons of the bullhead hull, dripping. Pyrrha stared at the devastation, blinked, then froze. _What if Nora was trapped in there, alive?_

No. No, she couldn't have been. She barely survived the crash- She refused to believe it. Either Nora, _weaponless, defenseless,_ had somehow managed to get away, or she had died in the crash. Pyrrha wouldn't- she couldn't have-

A low laugh came from the edge of the clearing. To Pyrrha's horror, Tyrian stepped out of the burnt treeline, one arm covered in terrible burns and limping but alive. He coughed, spitting blood off to one side. "So _this_ is the might of the Invincible Girl!" he crowed, bowing as he heaved up more blood. "Truly, I'm amazed. Such prowess, to fight without ever touching the ground! Why, I'm simply out matched!" Tyrian took three steps forward and doubled over, his knees meeting ash, and he retched a disgusting mix of blood, soot, and sludge before looking up to Pyrrha. "Ironic, though. The strongest fighter in all of Remnant doesn't even have the foresight not to burn her teammate alive."

A flash of orange and pink. Pyrrha's eyes widened in shock and joy when she saw Nora, creeping around the edges of the blast sight, frantically signaling to Pyrrha. Her teammate was covered in blood and a long cut ran down her side, but she seemed otherwise unharmed. _She's alive!_ In moments, she shaped a war hammer with her powers and cooled it down enough for Nora to hold. Nora's eyes widened, and she started sprinting toward Tyrian. A stick cracked underfoot – Tyrian froze, but it was too late.

"Stormflower!"

Pyrrha flung the warhammer over Tyrian's head and yelled, "Catch!" Tyrian was on his feet now, turning to look at Nora with the knowing fear of somebody who had just been outmatched.

Tyrian lunged; Nora's aura exploded to life. She yelled, readied her hammer, and launched herself at Tyrian. He tried to use his tail to block, but Pyrrha blew it out of the way with a chunk of metal before it could hit. The hammer drove Tyrian into the ground, aura fracturing, and he layed in the ensuing crater, unmoving.

Pyrrha exhaled and almost fell to earth, dropping down to a kneeling position. The maiden's powers fell away, leaving her nude – her dress had burned away entirely. She had practiced forging herself armor on the fly, but she was entirely too drained to even picture it mentally, let alone reforge the metal.

Nora met her with a desperate hug. "Oh my god."

"I thought you were dead," Pyrrha mumbled, breathing heavily. "For a second, I thought I killed you. I thought you were in the fire."

"I almost was." Stepping back, Nora pressed her hand over her bleeding cut, wincing as she stared in open revulsion at the bubbling wound on Pyrrha's hip. "I was trapped under the wreckage – my aura held, barely. When I heard the fight, I didn't dare calling out. I managed to escape right when you went supernova. I had to sprint to the trees. It almost wasn't enough. Oh, gods – look at your _hip._ "

Pyrrha didn't. She was close enough to throwing up against without looking at her wound. "We have to kill him. He works for Salem. I think- I think he's important. He has to die."

"Kill him," Nora repeated.

Closing her eyes, Pyrrha nodded.

If anything, that seemed to be the last straw for Nora. She took an uneasy step back, bringing her shaking her hands up together to her chest. "But- we, we're _huntresses_ , Pyrrha! We don't- We can't just kill people! Even if they- they're- they're the people who- I-"

 _I can't meet her eyes._ Pyrrha turned away, letting herself drift back into flight. "Would you kill Emerald?" she asked, quiet, and immediately felt unclean for it.

"That's not-" Nora choked on her own words. "That's not _fair,_ Pyrrha! THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

"Yeah, well life isn't fair, alright?!" Pyrrha looked out over the burnt trees, over the wreckage, and laughed coldly. "We just got shot out of the sky over one of the safest places in Remnant! They stopped playing fair when they massacred a hundred thousand civilians just to get a maiden!"

Her voice echoed through the clearing.

"I won't do it," Nora eventually said, her voice shaking.

Self-loathing rose in Pyrrha's throat. "Then I'll do it myself," she heard herself say, and turned to the crater.

Tyrian was gone.

A sickening crunch came from behind; Pyrrha spun around to find Nora staring down at the blood-slicked stinger protruding from her chest, eyes wide, shaking hands trying to reach down to grab the scorpion tail. Before she could, Tyrian ripped his tail out of her chest, leaving behind a gaping hole in her stomach dripping blood. Nora _screamed_ , falling to her knees, going pale, and Pyrrha's mind went white. _No. No. Nora, no._ Nora's hand came away crimson. She looked down at it, eyes rolling back in her head, and slumped over onto her side. And Tyrian stood behind her with a bleeding head wound and an arm so mangled it looked more like a piece of driftwood, and he threw back his head and _laughed._

"NO!" Conjuring a blade, Pyrrha shot forwards and tackled Tyrian to the ground like a bullet. He tried to struggle, but she grabbed his tail with one hand and ripped her knife through the flesh with another. Black venom splurted out of the wound on onto her hand, burning. Tyrian howled in pain, thrashing beneath her. Manic in rage, Pyrrha's palm burst into flame and she shoved it into Tyrian's face, covering his mouth and digging into her eyes. His screams were muffled. She pushed.

When she was done, he had no chance of getting back up on his feet again.

Pyrrha stared at the blackened husk of Tyrian's skull for a moment – _I did that –_ the nightmares already spiraling in her head, dreams she knew would haunt her for years. Then, she turned away and sprinted to Nora's side. Nora bleed freely, and Pyrrha's hands did nothing to staunch the wound. "Nora. Nora!"

A feeble whimper came from Nora's lips, barely a breath. _She's still alive,_ Pyrrha thought, frantic. _I have magic. I can save her._ Blank. _Think!_

 _Raven knows how to heal! Because of her relic, shit._ _It doesn't matter, she's going to die- Oh, gods, she's going to die if I don't do anything._

How did she do anything with her powers? How had she healed the wound on her side?

 _"Vision,"_ Raven had told her. _"Vision is everything. With that, you can do anything."_

Anything.

So Pyrrha leaned over, pressed the same hands that had just burnt a man to death to Nora's mortal wound, and _pushed._

 _Heal her._

 _Is this what you wish?_

 _Yes, please. Just don't let her die._

 _But death is natural. Summer will always turn to Fall, and Fall to Winter. It is… destined. You would seek to change it? To turn back, to alter what has always been known._

A tear leaked from Pyrrha's burning eye. _Please. I have no choice. I can't lose again, I can't lose someone else again, I can't._

 _Oh,_ _child_ _._ The tear turned to steam on her cheek, evaporating into the ashen sky. _There is_ always _a choice._

And the magic flowed into Nora's wound, burning and bubbling just as Pyrrha's did, and Pyrrha slumped from exertion, filthy soot-filled hair falling down over her face to brush the tops of her nude breasts, weighed down with the inexorable knowledge that _Nora would live, just in this moment._ She cried no more. Rather, she scooped up her limp teammate in her arms, adrenaline washing the vestiges of her fear away, and she carried her into the sky. Over the horizon, she could see Vale's faint lights.

 _Shelter Hospital. I have to get to Shelter Hospital._

Pyrrha cradled Nora to her chest and flew as fast as she dared toward safety.

* * *

 _Shink._

They were almost out of time. Blake could feel it in the air, in the haze of dust over Raven's elite camp, in the brutalist stockades of the central Animan stronghold. She could see it on the faces of the passing warriors, armed to the teeth and ready to fight at any moment. Her whetstone sliced down Gambol's blade, ears twitching, a restlessness that grew with every stroke and every glimpse of dust and steel.

 _Shink._

 _The White Fang won't wait the whole summer._ Blake knew it was true. Adam wasn't a patient man. One after the other, the pieces were falling into place. They would have to fight soon, and she wasn't ready. She would never be ready, not when Adam had her parents, not when they were in danger, possibly trapped, but she needed to be ready. She had no choice but to be ready.

 _Shink._

 _Adam. Raven. My parents. The relic. The Fang._

 _Shink._

 _Shink._

 _Shink._

Blake ran a light finger down the length of her blade, pulling away with a fine red line, a single drop of blood gathering at the end. Her ears curled in; she stood, activating her aura, and let the cut fade away.

"Hey." Yang walked up to Blake and gave her a one armed hug from behind, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. Some of the tension melted from Blake's shoulders, and she let herself relax into Yang's embrace.

"You shouldn't hug me like that while I'm holding Gambol," Blake said, smiling. "I might stab you."

Yang snorted. "Nah, you like me too much for that."

"Probably."

"Probably?"

Blake, sheathing Gambol Shroud, shrugged and turned to kiss Yang back. "You never know. I wouldn't piss me off too much, if I were you."

Yang's eyes darted back to Gambol Should as she stepped back, waving at a familiar bandit passing by. Blake sighed. "Look, I have something that might cheer you up." And with that, Yang held up her other arm.

She couldn't help herself – she gasped at the sight of a gleaming prosthetic, spray painted with glistening yellow and crisp snow blue edges. "You got a prosthetic?" she breathed, reaching out to touch the smooth metal.

Yang grinned, the fingers clenching into a tight fist like any other arm. "Yup. I- I've been thinking about it, y'know, what we said during our fight. So, when Raven showed up with the arm two days ago, I asked her not to tell you. I wanted to surprise you." Her grin softened out into a smile. "Weiss got it and picked the colors out, and Ruby did the painting."

Blake laughed in disbelief, euphoria filling her heart. "So you're finally ready? You- You really want to-"

"Beat the shit out of Adam Taurus?" Yang flipped her hair and nodded. "Hell yeah."

 _Is she really?_ Blake didn't miss the tremble of Yang's good hand – she wasn't fully healed, not yet. Maybe she would never be quite back to the way she was before the attack. Still, with the hope gleaming in her eyes, Blake knew there was no way she could call it out. Straightening up, she held a hand out to Yang and nodded. "Wanna go try that thing out?"

Yang nodded, holding Blake's hand tight. "Yeah, I do.

"Then let's go."

Together, they left to train.

* * *

Qrow hadn't flown so fast since Summer's death.

The alert signal had come in the middle of dinner: the Bullhead, plus Pyrrha and Nora's scrolls had gone dark. Everyone had immediately assumed the worst, but from Patch, an isolated island, there wasn't much anyone could do in the moment – except Qrow. Weiss had led everyone else to go find a Bullhead. Qrow had taken flight and shot towards Pyrrha's last reported location.

He could only pray he wasn't too late. Vale was alight below him, the southern forests beyond the wall dark. He cursed himself as he flew. _I should have gone with them! We let them go defenseless – not defenseless, but Pyrrha talked us out of forcing them to bring weapons or having another huntsman along. If the kid's dead…_ No- that was a dark path. Qrow couldn't afford to think about that, not when-

A bright red point appeared on the horizon, speeding towards Vale at top speed. Qrow widened his eyes – _Pyrrha –_ and slowed his trajectory, trying to figure out where she was going. _Why isn't she going toward Patch? What's going on?_ As she neared, though, Qrow realized where she was going, his bird stomach turning over unpleasantly. _Oh, no. She's going for Shelter._

Qrow flipped in midair and shot toward the hospital.

The helipad at Shelter Hospital was typically home to Bullheads and other airships, carrying sick citizens from farms or hospitals in Notch and Basin in for advanced treatment. Needless to say, the attending staff on the roof were mildly taken aback when Qrow shifted into his human form and ran onto the roof, drawing his scythe and waving it at the sky behind him. "You've got Pyrrha Nikos coming in hot!" he exclaimed to the astonishment of the man standing by the door. "There's been an attack. Get stretchers out here fast and turn on the landing pad's lights!"

"Pyrrha Nikos?" the man echoed, incredulous.

Qrow's eyes flashed dangerously. "Move, _now._ "

Gulping, the man adjusted his uniform, running to a nearby red box with yellow and black striped edges, the lights on the helipad flickering to life at the pull of a lever. Qrow, waiting until the man disappeared into the building, walked to the center of the helipad and tugged a distress flare out of his pocket, a signal he knew Pyrrha would recognize on side. The flare popped in the sky above, and Qrow watched in grim satisfaction as Pyrrha adjusted her course upwards. _So I was right. Shit. I fucking hate it when I'm right about things._

Pulling his scroll out, he composed a quick message to Weiss and Tai: _"P at Shelter. N status unknown."_

Like a missile, Pyrrha, her flames weakly spurting out around her body, unable to keep herself in the air a second longer, all but crashed into the hospital roof. Qrow cursed and sprinted over when he saw two bodies – _thank the gods, she has Nora –_ kneeling at their sides. "Fuck. _Fuck."_

Pyrrha was completely naked, covered from head to toe in soot, dirt, and grime, her hip a burnt mess, violent cuts crisscrossing her back and side. Nora, on the other hand, had a _hole in the middle of her stomach._ "Qrow?" Pyrrha groaned weakly, trying to force her way into a sitting position. "What- how?"

"Don't move. Help is here." Qrow stared at Nora's wound. _How is she not_ dead? he wondered in horror. _That should have killed her in a minute!_ "I saw you fly in. We lost your signal. What-"

"Assassin. Salem's. Tyrian Callows."

Qrow blanched and jumped to his feet. He had heard of Tyrian Callows – the infamous hunter killer, responsible for the deaths of more of his friends than he cared to count. Qrow had never had the misfortune of running into the monster, but he had seen first-hand what the aftermath of his attacks looked like during his year in the wilderness. "And you escaped?"

Pyrrha shook her head, gritting her teeth in pain. "Killed him. Not before he got Nora. I- I healed her, somehow. I don't know. I need Raven."

 _She killed him._ Qrow stared at Pyrrha for a long moment; she was oblivious, too wrapped up in her wounds. _She's a maiden, not a huntress. Not really, not anymore. If she had her full powers…_

And then the medical staff came racing back out with stretchers and emergency equipment, and Qrow was caught up in a swirl of rooms and dying girls and sterile walls, and there was nothing he could do but wait and hope that someway, somehow, Pyrrha Nikos had managed to pull out another impossible victory and done enough for her and Nora to both survive the night.

* * *

 _"_ _Can we just pretend, pretend that we're partners?"_

 _"Just for a little bit?"_

 _It was never real._

In Shelter Hospital, every hallway felt like Atlas – long, stark white lines lit by dull dust clinging to the ceiling. Weiss felt at sickly ease here, safe in a twisted way, eyes closed, leaning against the closed door to the operating room with Myrtenaster at her side and deep, dark circles under her eyes. A digital clock on the wall read 2:30 AM. She hadn't slept since five, when she had risen before dawn to train.

No attendants, no teammates, no company. The hallway was deserted, and she was alone.

Not entirely.

The door to the operating room slid open, and Raven stepped into the hallway, her mask at her side. She looked over at Weiss. "Nothing?"

"Nobody's been up or down since Qrow put the floor on lockdown," Weiss responded, dull eyes trained on the floor. "The assassin is dead, and if what Qrow had to say about him is true, he was one of Salem's best. She won't send anyone else tonight unless she's foolish and wants more of her men dead."

"Maybe so." Raven leaned against the other side of the door and glowered at the floor. "We fucked up."

"Yeah."

Raven rubbed two fingers up her temple, pushing the skin along underneath. Her red eyes seemed to glow in the dustlight. "I should never have gotten involved. If they hadn't managed to kill Callows, Salem would know that Pyrrha had gotten training. She knows enough that Vernal could never have done it. There would be war by tomorrow. Now, at least, it'll take a moment for the news to get back to her. Maidens are powerful, she might write it down as a mistep."

"War?" Weiss whispered.

Raven gave her a side-long look. "I figured my foolish daughter would have told you, but I suppose she and Belladonna keep their word better than I thought." She paused, contemplating Weiss. "Salem's making her move in Anima. The White Fang has enough men from the Vale refugees to field the largest army Vale's seen in a generation, and the huntsman corps is down to almost nobody. Your dead assassin is probably responsible, at least in part. If they moved against Pyrrha, I'm next. We're out of time."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Pyrrha follows you. So do Bella and Ruby." Raven's gaze was hawklike, trained on the wall with a dark bleakness Weiss associated with Qrow. She forgot they were related, sometimes. "I'm going to have to leave, soon, and I won't be able to visit. If Salem figures out how my semblance works, none of us will ever be safe again. Bella… Yang… Even Ruby, I know, they-"

When Raven's voice cracked, Weiss sighed and crossed her arms. "You're not planning on telling them before you leave."

"No. No, I'm not."

The lights hummed along the ceiling. Muffled voices came from the operating room, and Weiss could hear Tai's muffled voice through the door, arguing with a doctor about something. Her stomach sank, but she refused to let it show on her face.

"Yang knows," Raven said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "She and Belladonna and my inner circle have been conspiring to protect the relic without me having to go on the run. It won't work. When Mistral falls, the relic must leave Anima. And Yang..." A soft smile crept on to Raven's face for a moment before she culled it and looked away. "She put on her prosthetic, yesterday, for the first time. She'll be alright. I'll make sure she and Blake make it back to Beacon before they get swept up in it all, but..."

"I get it." Weiss dipped her head and pushed off the wall, a hand falling to Myrtenaster's hilt. She hated the feeling of duty, but she knew better than anyone when she had to cling to it. _Ruby Rose be damned._ "You know they won't be safe at Beacon. Whatever safe was ended when the attack happened, and so long as Pyrrha's with us, we're not going to be much safer than if she just stayed with you."

"I know." _But we have no choice._

Anger was the only real emotion Weiss was feeling right now, all that managed to fight through her ice cold team leader facade. She wanted to scream at Ruby more for never coming down into the dungeon to deal with Harkan, she wanted to beat herself up for letting Pyrrha and Nora travel without a formal guard, but it would be pointless. There were no brakes now, nothing to slow down the train of events spiraling out of control. All she could do was rely on her training and protect her friends as best she could.

"I need a favor."

"What?"

She sighed. Stepped back. And in one fluid motion, Weiss drew Myrtenaster, channeled her aura down its length, and plunged the tip of the blade into the floor. Behind her, a massive white glyph opened up, glowing with the signature blue design of the Schnee family. An armored hand the size of Weiss' torso emerged, followed by a giant, spectral robot stylized after a knight, empty visor glowing with the hazy silver power of Weiss' semblance. The glyphs faded away; Weiss gestured for her summon to come up to her side where it took up a combat stance, broadsword readied to strike.

Raven looked up to the knight's face, and something subtle in her face shifted. Weiss recognized it as respect. "You defeated that?"

"Father didn't want me to come to Beacon," Weiss told her, pride and defiance mingling in her tone. "I cut him a deal. He never expected me to succeed, but here I am anyway."

"The Schnee family semblance..." Raven mused, turning her critical eye back to Weiss. "You want firepower. If you get it, you have to potential to be formidable."

Weiss waved a hand, and her summon dissolved into dust. That left her standing across from Raven, back straight, the fiercest expression she could manage on her face. "I know you take Pyrrha to the wastelands. I- I need to go there, too. I can only summon the enemies I've defeated. I _will_ protect my team, but-"

Raven cut her off. "Then let's go."

Taken aback by her directness, Weiss only nodded. "And Pyrrha?"

"I trust Tai," Raven said simply. "Are you prepared?" When Weiss nodded, she whipped around and cut open a red portal. Stepping aside, she gestured toward the cloudy vortex.

Weiss narrowed her eyes and firmed her grip, then left the hospital behind.

 _I have to be strong enough. There's no time left for me to fail._

* * *

Ruby toiled over the fires of the open forge deep in the bowels of Signal Academy's hulking castle, perched on a rocky Patch cliffside looking out over the open ocean. Once it was a stronghold, protecting Vale from oceanic Grimm and enemies from Atlas and Mistral alike. Now it was the home of Ruby's old combat school – the school where she would be entering her final year, had she not killed Torchwick and been accelerated by Ozpin. Ruby hadn't expected to return, ever. But Beacon was still closed to the public, and she needed to work. A sense of urgency had gripped her, told her she didn't have time to wait for an okay signal from her family.

Carefully, through a tirage of Weiss' anger and Bella's confusion and worry, she had concealed her intent to reforge Crescent Rose. Today, she had awoken before dawn and sprinted the three miles from her house to the school, blueprints and Rising Thorn in hand. A green light from the Master-at-Arms (who absolutely adored her) and Ruby was inside, hard at work.

She zipped from place to place with her semblance, pouring molten dusteel into molds and popping hot pieces out into the cooling baths she had prepared. Signal had an official policy of never scrapping old weapons molds; occasionally, when a huntsman got worldwide fame, considerable lien could be made by reforging and selling copies of famous weapons. Rose petals covered the floor. Ruby wiped the sweat from her brow, taking a moment to collect herself and take a gulp of water, the adrenaline and emotion of recreating her baby overtaking her.

 _I'm not nothing. I'm not one of them. I won't let myself be nothing. I'm more than her. I'm me. I'm not a child. Weiss is wrong. Bella is wrong. They're all wrong, all of them! And I'll show them that, show them that I can be more, show them that I can fix myself! Crescent is mine. I-_

Ruby's lip curled up in determination, and she threw herself back into her work, channeling more aura into her semblance than before.

She knew she had a tendency to be… focused, when she had a goal. Bella called it obsessive. The obsessiveness was what drove her to work out to the point of hurting herself in the fall. It was what gave her a single-minded focus on her weapons work now.

Bella was out of range. There was an emptiness there, one that ached, clawed at Ruby inside, but Ruby welcomed it. It reminded her of what Weiss had said yesterday, let her see past her love and cling to the pain underneath.

 _I love her, I hate her, I won't be like her._

Ruby had finished the hilt earlier in the morning, and the casing for the scythe was cooling in the baths. The internal mechanisms would need major touch-ups, and needed to happen last, so Ruby had pushed that part of the schematic aside and resigned herself to focusing on one part at a time. So, her focus turned itself to the _pi_ _è_ _ce de resistance:_ the blade.

Crescent's blade was pure steel except for the edges, which used a rare fire dust alloy to maximize damage against other weapons. The blade was twice the weight of the entire rest of the weapon, rising from the ground to Ruby's chest, micro-serrated to a wicked tip that could bite through metal and tear flesh apart. When Ruby had first forged the weapon, Qrow and her teachers had insisted she tone down some of the more… destructive aspects of the blade, which, Ruby conceded, probably hadn't been safe for a ten-year-old, no matter how gifted. Over the years, Ruby had turned Crescent into the killing machine she had originally intended, but the design had always been somewhat limited by those safety features.

No more.

Pulling her gloves under Ashes Celica, Ruby lifted the white-hot length of steel and set it down on the anvil. Hammer in hand, she set upon it with a strength far greater than a normal fifteen-year-old, striking it with semblance-powered might, shaping it to the curvature she wanted. This was her element, her passion, more than anything – the heat on her face, burning in her arms and her chest, the rising fumes darkening her masked face and winds sparking against her superpowered arm. Time blurred. All that mattered was the blade, _her_ weapon, so dear to her she called it her baby, coming back to life after the worst stretch in her entire life.

Ruby Rose was reborn in flames.

She was so focused on her work that she didn't register when Bella came back into range. Compartmentalizing the foreign panic and fear was easy enough. Ruby firmed the edge that would slot into the blade, worked the raw fire dust into the edge, beat the blade into a sliver, deadly to the touch. The steel was an extension of her, became a part of her with every strike. Perceiving the intentions of others had never been one of Ruby's strengths, but she had always intuitively understood why Signal had its students forge their own weapons. _"Weapons are extensions of ourselves,"_ she had told Yang, once. She had been without a weapon she could truly call _hers_ for too long. She loved her mother, missed Summer with all her heart, but Rising Thorn had never been hers. Every step she took towards rebuilding Crescent Rose felt right, as if she had woken up from a long sleep, ready to fight.

In one fluid motion, Ruby lifted the formed blade and plunged it into the water. The cooling pool hissed in acceptance. Triumphant, Ruby raised her tired gaze.

Bella's white eyes glowed back through the steam.

 _I was wondering when you would come._ Ruby closed her eyes and let her aura slip deep into her bones, calming her rush. Her words came silent, yet echoed, the dark forge a cavern in the dawn's light. Bella's presence brought her a sense of completion, one that Ruby had to fight so that it wouldn't overwhelm her. She wouldn't be nothing. With Bella standing across from her, on the other side of the rippling basin, it took everything she had within her to hold back the tide of emotion her aura bond brought on.

 _You left without me. Nobody knew where you were. We had to go searching for you, Ruby._ Bella paced around the pools to her side, agitated. _The only reason we didn't call the police was because you took Rising Thorn with you. Do you have any idea how worried I was?_

Ruby looked down, to the cooling steel. "I needed to do this alone."

Following Ruby's gaze, Bella flinched. _Crescent Rose?_

 _Yeah. She- She's going to be even better than she was before._ Pulling off her gloves, Ruby set them down beside her scroll and flexed her wrists, a faint smile playing on her lips. _I realized something, Bella, down in the prison. I- Things have to change. They have since the attack, and we tried – tried to make it happen, but it wasn't enough. This is important. I_ need _to do this, for me. I don't have a choice._

 _I don't understand._

 _I know._

 _You could show me._ Bella stepped forward, close enough that her desperation was too evident for Ruby to ignore. _I'm here for you, Rose. If this is about what Weiss said, then we can work through that. We-_

Ruby looked away. "No."

 _No?_

 _No._

 _But-_

 _Six months ago, before I learned how to shield myself, you would have already know why, without asking._ Ruby, stepping past Bella, plunged her bare hands into the cooling pool and drew out Crescent's blade, running her palm down the blunted side. The steel had a faint red alloy about it from the dust, a glint. _And you would order me around, and I would order you back. We were both at fault. Nobody won. Now…_

 _Now you aren't going to tell me why you ran away to Signal without telling anyone._

She let her arm sag, the curved tip of the blade pointing toward Bella. _No. Now we're equal. I don't command you, you don't command me. I don't take things from you, and you don't take things from me. We talk it through, like normal people._

 _Like how you're not answering my question._ Bella smirked, and not in a nice way. _Forgive me if I'm not understanding what the problem is._

 _The problem is that Weiss was right._

A timer dinged by the forge, and Ruby was gone in a blur of motion. Molten parts fell from their casts into the cooling pools, steel and copper trickled into more molds, a hollow clang resounded where Ruby set the blade aside. Bella watched her silently, cupping her hands around a loose rose petal that had drifted into her pink hair. She stood perfectly, utterly still. Doll-like.

 _Right about what?_ Ruby didn't respond for a long moment. _That you were acting like a child. I didn't agree with her then, but after you didn't come down to face Harkan with us… And now this… She has a point. Running away to work on your weapons isn't helping our case, Rose, so-_

Ruby zipped to a short stop before Bella and flashed her a violent, red-tinged glare. "I'm not a child." Before Bella had a chance to reach out to her, she was back in motion. _I haven't_ been _a child since I met you. Not now that I have years of your memories in my head. Immature, maybe, and Weiss had a point, but that's not what she's right about._

 _Then what?!_

The wheels of the forge turned, a valve popping open to release a hissing wave of steam. Bella started when Ruby swept her off her feet, taking her by the waist with a hand on her shoulder, leaning in close enough that she could see the reflection of her single silver eye in Bella's. Ruby's lips twisted in a cold, pained sort of way, and lifted her finger and pressed it to Bella's lips. _All I care about is you._

Bella blushed. Ruby's finger came away red, painted with traces of Bella's lipstick. She moved to pull away, but Ruby didn't let go; a shade passed over her expression, and she looked away. _This is cruel._

 _I know._

 _You were the one who asked us to stop. To be apart._ Bella raised a hand to rest on Ruby's back. _You wanted us to wait until you were older._

 _And yet it changed nothing, nothing at all._ Ruby gave Bella a bitter smile, a roll of the neck. _Who's the cruel one, now?_

Bella flushed deeper, tried to look away, but before she could Ruby had already drawn her into a deep kiss, leaning into her, her hair draping into her face. Sweat dripped from her forehead; the heat of the forge was trapped around them, leaving Ruby with the bizarre sensation of cold brought on by their embrace, the sort that only her silver eyes had ever made her feel before. When Ruby pulled away, Bella was left speechless, staring at her open-mouthed.

And Ruby was bitter, oh so bitter, like no teenager should ever be. Stepping back, she turned away. _You've kissed me. Now I've kissed you._

Equal.

Ruby didn't have to turn. The bond told her everything she needed to know about the regret in Bella's chest and the tears watering in her eyes. _You said you wouldn't._

 _I'm not one of them. I'll_ never _be one of them._ Ruby shot her a look over her shoulder. _But if I keep letting you treat me like I am, then you'll never see that._

Bella sat down hard on the bench behind her and didn't move, didn't talk – silent in mind and body. Ruby didn't give her a second look, but she kept a careful eye on her emotions through the bond. Bella broadcasted nothing. She didn't push; turned her attention back to her weapon, ignoring that her passion had faded with her spite. There were only a few parts left in the molds, and no more to forge after that. The spike at the end of the hilt, the small blade opposite Crescent, the dust magazine, all splashed into the cooling pool. She set the forge to cool, powering down the intricate machinery running it, acting with a precision from years of experience. Clean-up took half an hour – Ruby had to stage her assembly for the afternoon, ensure the equipment was all properly cared for, and put the necessary treatments on her components.

Few people would try to forge one of the most complicated weapons on Signal's books in a day. Ruby felt driven, unable to leave her mental image of Crescent as a molten pile of scrap.

The entire time, Bella sat and watched, unmoving.

 _Done._ Crescent Rose sat in pieces on the table, disassembled but unblemished. Ruby leaned forward on the table, fingers splayed, and looked over the parts, saw the finished product in her mind. Her weapon, as though it had never left her side. A sigh escaped her lips. The metallic silver on her face where her eye used to be felt heavy, weighing her head down.

 _Harkan raised his sword. Neo flew between his blade and Ruby. Ruby threw back her head and blanketed Forever Fall in white._

Ruby looked up at Bella. "Let's get lunch."

* * *

 **[A/N] Okay, so I'm adding an extra chapter to this volume because this one was coming in at ~14k and the second half was pretty different tonally from the first. I know where I'm going and I just needed more words to get there. Cheers to more content, tho :)**

 **Ruby and Weiss may be just as at odds as they have been since way back in Volume One, but that rivalry/feud looks really different now than it did then. When Ruby and Weiss first met, fights like last chapter would have torn them both down and led to worse fights. Now, both of their responses are to fight to get better and prove the other wrong. I love subtle character development.**

 **Pyrrha and Nora barely survive an assassination attempt. Writing that scene was hard, but I'm really excited exploring what having powers does to Pyrrha's head moving forward.**

 **[B/N] I squeaked with glee when I read the last scene. Allie knows how to poke my emotional buttons and I love/hate her for it. ~Vixie**

 **Vixie's been doing an awesome job, so give her lots of love guys! Your reviews give me life – don't forget to tell me what you think!**

 **Signing out, Allie**

Estimated Update Day: Honestly, I don't know right now – I'm doing a summer writing intensive but I have no idea whether I'll have a chance to work on re:Bound or whether it'll be my original work. I'll try to get a July chapter out – no hiatus this year! - but we'll see. I'll do my best 3


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